Groups join to give kids a great start: Berrien County Intermediate School District / Michigan.

Project Great Start Berrien, aimed at addressing the problems of children at risk for a variety of problems, led to Berrien Intermediate School District in Berrien Springs, Mich., being named the state's winner in the 2007 National Civic Star Award competition.

Almost half of the nearly 2,000 children born in Berrien County each year are born into families whose life situations put their children at risk for neglect, abuse or school failure.

Project Great Start Berrien brought together a broad range of partners from the education, faith, health, philanthropy and business communities to address the resulting realities: high teen pregnancy rates, high dropout rates, widespread unemployment and underemployment, homelessness and domestic violence. The group's main goal was to establish and provide support services for at-risk families before their children were school age. The group developed a plan for the program, which evolved into an Early Learning Opportunities (ELOA) grant application, which was funded in 2004. Key components of the program include:

* Contact with families at the time the child is born, including provision of the Great Start Resource Guide by the Berrien County Health Department, a R.E.A.D.Y. (Read, Educate and Develop Youth Kit from the school district and a visit with a family assessment worker from the Capstone Family Center.

* Support for parents in maintaining their child's physical and emotional well-being, including case management and transportation, well-baby checkups and immunizations, nutrition information and mental health services from a range of organizations and agencies.

* Support for parents in their role as their child's first and most important teacher.

* Screening and referral for early identification of developmental delays.

Agencies and school districts work together to engage families in services that support them in a helpful start for their child. Personal visits, community events and local school district newsletters, carnivals, and literacy celebrations are all used to bring families and services together.

Project Great Start Berrien partners provided required matching funds for the ELOA grant. They refer families for appropriate services, provide space for monthly parent meetings and play groups and come together on a regular basis to share resources. Collaborative planning, professional development, book give-aways and family events have resulted from the Project Great Start Berrien.

Since the program's inception, more than 5,000 families of children birth to school age have benefited from the project. Parent participation has been good from the start. A survey conducted through the Parents as Teachers program confirms the importance on ongoing parenting education.

For more information, contact Superintendent Jeffrey Siegel at [phone] or by e-mail atjsiegel@remcll. kl 2.mi.us. His mailing address is Berrien County Intermediate School District, 711 St. Joseph Ave., Berrien Springs, MI 49103-1602.