(EAST LANSING, Mich.) Talent pools are shrinking, budgets are tight and the work is hard.  How do we recruit and retain talent when resources are limited? The answer to these questions and much more were tackled by MHSA's Human Resources Learning Community on Feb. 15, 2018 with visiting HR expert and presenter Jodi Schafer. Schafer, a senior HR professional and owner of Human Resources Management Services, led a frank conversation about research and reality in "Grow Your Own Talent Programs…

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Head Start Association (NHSA) today applauded an announcement from the Administration that it will reevaluate a regulation that NHSA has long argued is ineffective, arbitrary, and unnecessarily burdensome on Head Start programs. Earlier today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released an official request for comments on a proposal that would change the Designation Renewal System’s (DRS) use of the CLASS tool, including the removal of the arbitrary…

LANSING, MI - Unlike children’s book character Officer Buckle, Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth would never stand on a swivel chair for better reach. That’s safety lesson number 77, he told a lively group of giggling preschoolers at Maplehill Head Start this week. But like the mishap-prone hero in “Officer Buckle and Gloria,” who takes a fall and goes on to teach children about safety with help from his police dog Gloria, Wriggelsworth said he also employs police dogs in the line of…

Dear Colleague, As we all know from the heart-breaking news in Texas and Louisiana this week, deadly Hurricane Harvey has claimed dozens of lives and left thousands homeless and in need of rescue. Now the long road to recovery begins. In this vein, I ask for your help in support of the National Head Start Association's effort to assist our Head Start children, families, and their communities in these battered states. Please join the Michigan Head Start Association by contributing to the NHSA'…

(August 10, 2017) Huffington Post -- Effective use of federal funding is imperative to meet the needs of America’s most vulnerable early learners. To ensure those precious public resources are efficiently spent, Congressional leaders regularly (and rightly) ask about potential fragmentation, overlap and duplication of the various federal programs providing early care and education. Last month, Congress’ oversight arm, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), examined these questions and…

FiveCap Celebrates its Head Start Parents; They Rack up Huge Numbers in Volunteer Service Hours Ludington, Mich. (June 2, 2017) – It was a night to celebrate Head Start parents – and what a night it was!  What a celebration of success! Head Start/Early Head Start provider, FiveCap Inc. in northwest Michigan, hosted its 40th annual Parent and Volunteer Honors Banquet last week recognizing families for outstanding service.  Collectively, Head Start and Early Head Start parents in Newago, Lake…

Capital City Program Joins 1,400 Others Nationally in Community Reading Day LANSING, Mich. (May 18, 2018) – Wearing a “Reading is Magic” t-shirt and changing up her voice to mimic a parrot or pirate, dramatic story-teller Nicole Hansen brought the book “Pete the Pirate” alive for a Head Start classroom of 17 fascinated 4 year olds.  Each sporting a colorful pirate’s bandana, the children listened intently as Hansen described a pivotal plot twist in which a sunken pirate’s ship rises from the…

ALLEGAN COUNTY, Mich. (May 8, 2017) -- State Rep. Mary Whiteford on Monday visited a Head Start classroom at the Community Action of Allegan County, located at the local ACATEC (Allegan County Area Technical & Education Center). During her visit, Rep. Whiteford read “Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed” to the children, toured the facility, and met with staff to discuss early childhood education. “Head Start offers a unique two-generation educational approach which not only focuses on…

Congressman Tours Longview Center for Insider Look at Preschool Program MIDLAND, Mich. (May 8, 2017) – Congressman John Moolenaar dropped into a classroom at Midland’s Longview Early Childhood Center on Monday when he was promptly greeted by a 4 year old with a hand broom and dust pan. Whether the silent youngster wanted to impress the school visitor with his steady housekeeping skills or was hoping to strike up a conversation was anyone’s guess. But he did impress as the towering visitor…

Spring Assembly Event: Panelists Discuss Ways to Serve Families When Immigration Status is Questioned (April 26, 2017) Mt. Pleasant, MI – The new Administration’s actions making immigration enforcement a top priority has led to a strong joint response from State Superintendent Brian Whiston of the Michigan Department of Education and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights regarding the rights of students in schools.  Both entities say they will work to prevent disruptions among schools,…