Great Start Livingston

What Great Start Livingston does

Great Start Livingston, formally the Great Start Collaborative of Livingston County, is a non-profit community collaborative headquartered in Howell, Michigan, that connects families with children from birth through age 8 to early childhood resources across Livingston County. The organization coordinates a network of more than 50 community partners — including Livingston Educational Service Agency (LESA), Livingston County United Way, all county libraries, the county health department, MSU Extension, and UnitedHealthcare — and operates Help Me Grow Livingston as the centralized access hub for developmental screenings, kindergarten readiness programs, parent education workshops, and family support services. Its programmatic portfolio spans the Great Start Family Coalition (a parent leadership body), prenatal and infant/toddler support including the Welcome Baby program, ASQ developmental milestone screenings, StoryWalks outdoor literacy events, Parent Cafes, playdates, and annual countywide events such as Family Fun Day (570+ families in 2025) and Books & Beats (300+ families).

All programs and services are provided free of charge to families. The organization's revenue has historically come primarily from state grants channeled through Michigan's early childhood system; this state funding was eliminated in fall 2025, and Great Start Livingston is now seeking bridge funding through community donations collected via Livingston County United Way, which provides 501(c)(3) tax-deductible giving infrastructure. The staff is small — approximately 5 employees including a Coordinator, two Family Liaisons, and administrative support — and operations are run directly from the LESA building at 1425 W. Grand River, Howell, with no proprietary technology platform; service delivery occurs through community events, workshops, partner referrals, social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), and a Constant Contact email newsletter. Strategic activity centers on sustaining program continuity, expanding partnerships with healthcare and literacy partners (UnitedHealthcare Emergency Diaper Bank, Early Literacy Collaborative), and preserving the Family Coalition's statewide peer network built over multiple years of community organizing.

Name

Great Start Livingston

Legal name

Great Start Collaborative of Livingston County

Website

https://greatstartlivingston.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Great Start Livingston is a Howell, Michigan non-profit community collaborative coordinating 50+ partners to deliver free early childhood programs (ages 0-8) across Livingston County, including Help Me Grow resource referrals, kindergarten readiness, and the Family Coalition, after losing its state grant funding in fall 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Howell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary funding from state grants. Organization experienced elimination of state funding in fall 2025 and is seeking bridge funding through community donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Great Start Livingston is a community collaborative that provides free early childhood programs and family support services for families with children from prenatal through age 8 in Livingston County, Michigan. Its core services include Help Me Grow Livingston (a centralized access hub for early childhood resources), developmental screenings using ASQ tools, parent leadership development through the Great Start Family Coalition, kindergarten readiness programs, parent education workshops, and direct family support such as Welcome Baby bags, Backpacks for Kids, and StoryWalks.

Product overview

Great Start Livingston is a community collaborative focused on early childhood development, operating as a partnership of local community agencies, businesses, early childhood and K-12 educators, and parents. The organization provides a suite of interconnected programs including the Great Start Family Coalition for parent leadership, Help Me Grow Livingston as a central resource hub, kindergarten readiness initiatives, developmental milestone screenings (ASQ), parent education workshops, StoryWalks literacy programs, and annual events like Family Fun Day and Books & Beats. Additional services include the Backpacks for Kids school supply program, Welcome Baby support for new families, playdates, and prenatal/infant/toddler services. The organization primarily serves families with children from birth through age 8 in Livingston County, Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Help Me Grow Livingston A centralized access hub connecting families with local programs, developmental screenings, parenting resources, and community supports for children birth through age 5 in Livingston County.
• Great Start Family Coalition A parent and family leadership group that engages, empowers, and recruits parent leaders to provide voice to early childhood systems work in Livingston County.
• Kindergarten Readiness Programs School readiness initiatives including kindergarten registration support, summer activity calendars, and transition preparation for children entering kindergarten.
• Developmental Milestones Program Resources and screening tools including ASQ (Ages & Stages Questionnaire) developmental screenings to assess children's development from 2 months to 5 years.
• Parent Education Workshops Free parenting classes and workshops provided in partnership with MSU Extension covering topics like child development, behavior management, and family wellness.
• StoryWalks Outdoor literacy activities where families stroll through locations reading displayed storybook pages, including Stories in Storefronts in Downtown Howell.
• Backpacks for Kids Annual countywide initiative providing free backpacks filled with school supplies to Livingston County students from families experiencing financial hardship.
• Welcome Baby Program Support program for expectant parents and new families including Welcome Baby Bags with resources for newborns and their caregivers.
• Prenatal, Infants & Toddlers Services Resources and support for families with children from prenatal through age 3, including early intervention services and caregiver coaching programs.
• Playdates Free community playdates for parents and families with young children, providing opportunities for social connections and child development activities.
• Family Fun Day Annual community event celebrating early literacy with activities, free books, live music, and family engagement opportunities.
• Books & Beats Literacy-focused community concert event combining music and reading activities for families with young children.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Livingston Educational Service Agency (LESA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome organization hosting Great Start Livingston. Co-located headquarters at 1425 W. Grand River, Howell. LESA provides administrative infrastructure and houses programs including Early On.
• Livingston County Early Literacy CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of county libraries and partners focused on early literacy. Collaborates on events like Family Fun Day and Books & Beats concert. Includes all county libraries working to build love for reading.
• Early On LivingstoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly intervention program for children birth through 3 years. Partners on sensory-friendly events and developmental support services for families.
• Michigan State University ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides free parenting classes and resources. Offers online classes for parents, caregivers, and early childhood professionals through Child and Family Development team.
• Livingston County Health DepartmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on health initiatives, safety events, immunizations, and community health needs assessment. Co-hosts events like Ready, Set, School!
• MDHHS (Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on Summer EBT food assistance, WIC programs, and statewide baby fairs. Provides information on state programs and emergency assistance.
• 2|42 Community CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for major community events including Family Fun Day and Books & Beats concert. Provides facility for family programming in Brighton.
• Livingston County LibrariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of libraries participating in Early Literacy Collaborative. Include Howell Library, Cromaine Library, Hamburg Library, Fowlerville Library. Provide storytimes, reading programs, and StoryWalk locations.
• LACASA CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts Champions for Children recognition and Plant a Pinwheel child abuse prevention events with CAP Council. Annual blue pinwheel celebration.
• UnitedHealthcareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on Emergency Diaper Bank program for families with UnitedHealthcare Community Plan coverage in Michigan. Children under 2 may qualify for free diapers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• United Way Worldwide (Livingston County United Way): Funder and partner to Great Start Livingston; the Livingston County United Way is currently hosting the bridge funding campaign and is a direct operational partner, comparable as a funder/convener of community-based family and early childhood services.

Direct peers

• Parents as Teachers: National evidence-based home visiting and parent education model for families with young children; directly comparable to Great Start Livingston's parent education, family coaching, and developmental screening offerings.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: Provides free books to children from birth through age 5; directly comparable to Great Start Livingston's book distribution and early literacy initiatives, including its membership in the Livingston County Early Literacy Collaborative.
• Great Start Kent (Kent County): Another Michigan Great Start Collaborative; delivers the same parent leadership, Help Me Grow, and school readiness programming in Kent County, making it a direct operational peer.
• Reach Out and Read: National early literacy nonprofit that integrates book distribution into pediatric care; directly comparable to Great Start Livingston's 1,500+ books distributed and StoryWalk/early literacy programs.
• Great Start Wayne (Wayne County): Part of the same Michigan Great Start Collaborative statewide system; operates the same model (parent coalition, Help Me Grow hub, early childhood system building) in Wayne County, making it the closest structural analog to Great Start Livingston.

Emerging players

• Nurse-Family Partnership: Evidence-based nurse home visiting program for first-time expectant parents; overlaps with Great Start Livingston's Welcome Baby and prenatal/infant support services in target population and home-visiting delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• First 5 California: California's statewide funder and convener for early childhood programs for children prenatal through age 5; comparable to Great Start Livingston as a county/system-level early childhood systems-building organization.
• Early Head Start (national program): Federally funded early childhood program for prenatal to age 3; overlaps with Great Start Livingston's prenatal/infant/toddler services and Welcome Baby program in target population and developmental focus.

Regional players

• Help Me Grow National Network: National umbrella for the Help Me Grow model that Great Start Livingston runs locally; provides the framework, training, and affiliate connections that shape the organization's central resource hub.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GreatStart_Liv
• Facebookfacebook.com/GreatStartLiv
• Instagraminstagram.com/greatstartlivingston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-start-livingston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Great Start Livingston