Great Start Collaborative

Great Start Collaborative offers Early Head Start for children 6 weeks to 3 years of age with center-based classrooms, and school and home-based services are available. It also offers Head Start for ages 3-5, with school and home-based services available, and the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) for age 4, with preschool classes in schools and childcare centers throughout the county. The program also includes Early On® Genesee County, Genesee Healthy Start, Genesee Health System - Infant Mental Health, Hurley Medical Center Nurse Family Partnership, and SKIP to a Great Start.

Programs

• Early Head Start — 6 weeks to 3 years of age · Center-based classrooms; school and home-based services are available · Free (income based)
• Head Start — ages 3-5 · School and home-based services are available · Free (income based)
• Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) — age 4 · Preschool classes in schools and childcare centers throughout the county · Free PreK for eligible four-year-olds
• GCCARD Head Start — ages 3-5 · School and home-based services are available · Free (income based)
• Beecher Early Head Start (EHS) — 6 months to 3-year-old children · Free program for children who qualify
• Mott Early Head Start — 6 months to 3-year-old children · Free program for children who qualify
• Bendle/Carman-Ainsworth Early Head Start — pregnant women and 6 months to 3-year-old children · Free program for those who qualify
• Early On® Genesee County — birth to three years of age · Free early intervention services for infants and toddlers with developmental delay(s) and/or disabilities
• Genesee Healthy Start — children ages 0-18 months · Helps women before, during and after pregnancy; children ages 0-18 months; and dads (or supporting men) with various health and social needs
• Genesee Health System - Infant Mental Health — infants and other young children in the family · Home visits that promote positive parent-infant interactions and healthy infant development
• Hurley Medical Center Nurse Family Partnership — first-time moms · Free program that matches you with a registered nurse for advice, guidance, support, and a good laugh when you need it most
• SKIP to a Great Start — prebirth to kindergarten entrance · Home visiting program for Genesee County families; monthly home visits using the evidence-based Parents as Teachers framework

At a glance

• Ages: 0–4 years old

About the provider

The Great Start Collaborative is an early childhood initiative provided by the Genesee Intermediate School District and funded through a grant from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education Advancement and Potential. The Great Start Family Coalition includes families, parents, community members, service providers, schools, faith-based groups, childcare providers, health care organizations, philanthropic representatives, and business leaders.

All are free (or based on income guidelines) and welcome all children, including those with disabilities or cognitive delays.

Last updated August 23, 2026.