Alpena, Montmorency & Alcona Great Start Collaborative

Free Online Classes for Parents, Caregivers, and Early Childhood Professionals – DecemberOfferings! 📢
MSU Extension has a wide range of free online workshops and series this month, covering parenting tips, child development, communication skills, and more. Whether you care for infants, toddlers, teens, or work in early childhood education, there’s something for you!
📅 See the full December schedule below:
➡ Follow MI Stronger Family - MSU Extension for more resources and events.
🌐 Visit: https://www.canr.msu.edu/child-family-development/

Looking for licensed, quality childcare?
Visit https://greatstarttoquality.org/finding-child-care-preschool/ or call 1-877-614-7328 to speak with local staff.

Find out if you are eligible for child care assistance by using this Eligibility Calculator: https://greatstarttoquality.org/calculator/

Find license-exempt provider options: https://greatstarttoquality.org/license-exempt-providers/

Interested in providing childcare? Visit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16hU9QaITGoO9WKHsPaU4uSo1ntWkWla5/view

Families, Childcare Providers, Early Educators, contact the Lending Library to borrow FREE learning materials or call the toll-free number above: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iJThjy30OZ_wMQABziXUiv0BcSbvCCMa/view?usp=sharing

Get 10 free handouts full of research and solutions for how to support child development in a screen heavy world with the new Screen Aware Early Childhood Action Kit. bit.ly/screenaware

For more information about support for pregnancy and post-delivery through District Health Dept. #2 & 4 programs, including WIC (Women Infants & Children) food program & needs-based Dietician, and Breastfeeding Support (peer counselors, lactation consultant), please call 1-800-221-0294 for general eligibility information, or: Montmorency 989-785-4428/ Alpena 989-356-4507/ Alcona 989-724-6757

Did you know that DHD #2 also has a Maternal Infant Health Program (MIHP) that offers guidance, information, and support to help parents raise a healthy family? You can also reach out to DHD’s Community Connections, where a Community Health Worker will assist with locating resources for individuals and families in the community.

Make believe your family are guests on a talk show. Work together to come up with questions and use them to interview each other, talk show style! “Hello, grandma, welcome to our family talk show.
What is your favorite meal to cook and why?” Asking questions and listening to one another is a great way to bond, connect, and spend quality time learning more about each other. Baby can’t talk yet?
Interview them anyway! They love to hear your voice, and even if you can’t understand them just yet, they definitely have something to say!

What are some ways your family can spread kindness? From helping one another with household
chores to baking cookies for a sick neighbor, there are so many ways to do our part to make the world a
kinder place! Talk about things you can do to show each other kindness and think of ways you can work
together as a family to show kindness to others. Make it a goal to do something kind together every
week. How does it feel to be kind?

Free Online Classes for Parents, Caregivers, and Early Childhood Professionals – DecemberOfferings! 📢
MSU Extension has a wide range of free online workshops and series this month, covering parenting tips, child development, communication skills, and more. Whether you care for infants, toddlers, teens, or work in early childhood education, there’s something for you!
📅 See the full December schedule below:
➡ Follow MI Stronger Family - MSU Extension for more resources and events.
🌐 Visit: https://www.canr.msu.edu/child-family-development/

There are a lot of things to remember when you're pregnant or a new mom. Women who text BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411 receive free text messages three times per week, timed to their due date, up until the baby's first birthday. The texts are developed by experts from all over the country. There is also an app that provides additional information about baby's development, pregnancy, childcare tips, and more.”

🍎 Alpena County FREE Drive-Thru Food Giveaway 🍞

First come, first served. Limited supply. *Please be prepared to wait in line, keep your vehicle cleaned out, avoid smoking, and remain in your vehicle.

When: Tuesday, Nov. 18th, 2025
Time: 2PM – until supplies last
Where: Fairgrounds, 625 S. 11th Ave. Alpena, MI

No public restrooms on site. Parking lot opens at 1PM — please do not arrive early or park on the side streets.

Interested in volunteering? Email [email protected] for details.
Food Bank of Eastern Michigan Feeding America
Get Connected. Get Help!
211nemichigan.org

For more information about support for pregnancy and post-delivery through District Health Dept. #2 & 4 programs, including WIC (Women Infants & Children) food program & needs-based Dietician, and Breastfeeding Support (peer counselors, lactation consultant), please call 1-800-221-0294 for general eligibility information, or: Montmorency 989-785-4428/ Alpena 989-356-4507/ Alcona 989-724-6757

Did you know that DHD #2 & #4 have a Healthy Futures Program? In Healthy Futures, a registered nurse will contact you during your pregnancy to answer questions about prenatal health services; they can visit after you arrive home with your newborn and can speak with you by phone for questions. Health information will be mailed/texted during pregnancy and during your child’s early years about immunizations, safety, nutrition, and other supports up to age 5.