Head Start and Great Start Readiness Program

Branch ISD offers two classroom based programs, Head Start and Great Start Readiness Program.

Head Start is a federal program that promotes the school readiness of children ages three to five from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development.

Head Start programs provide a learning environment that supports children’s growth in the following domains:

• language and literacy

• cognition and general knowledge

• physical development and health

• social and emotional development

• approaches to learning.

Head Start programs provide comprehensive services to enrolled children and their families, which include health, nutrition, social, and other services determined to be necessary by family needs assessments, in addition to education and cognitive development services. Head Start services are designed to be responsive to each child and family’s ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage.

Great Start Readiness Program GSRP is Michigan’s state-funded PreK program for four-year-old children administered by MiLEAP, Office of Early Education. Research on PreK programs and specific research on GSRP indicates that children provided with a high-quality PreK experience show significant positive developmental differences when compared to children from the same backgrounds who did not attend a high-quality PreK program. To strengthen learning at home and strengthen positive child outcomes, programs must provide for active and continuous partnership with families in the learning process. Families are never charged fees for program elements such as transportation or meal service. Through advisory committees, families assist to evaluate and make recommendations about the program.  

To strengthen learning at home and strengthen positive child outcomes, programs must provide for active continuous involvement of parents in the learning process.

Below you may find answers to many common questions. If you need more assistance please do not hesitate to contact our office.

200 Bishop Avenue
Coldwater, MI 49036
Phone: 517-279-5830
Fax: 517-278-9045