Great Start Livingston at the Child Advocacy Summit 2025: Lifting Voices, Building Power
On May 22, the Great Start Livingston team traveled to Lansing to attend the Michele Corey Child Advocacy Summit 2025, hosted by Michigan’s Children. We joined early childhood champions, youth leaders, and statewide advocates committed to one shared goal: making Michigan the best place to raise a child.
From the opening welcome to the powerful keynote, the summit created space for storytelling, systems thinking, and actionable strategy in the face of real policy challenges.
Danielle Atkinson, founder of Mothering Justice, delivered a rousing keynote titled “Proactive Posture in a Defensive Stance”, reminding us that:
- We must fight for our values without apology.
- Kids deserve care, food, and love—period.
- We win when we organize around everyday joy, dignity, and belonging.
In breakout sessions, our team explored ways to grow grassroots family advocacy. These conversations will inform our next steps as we continue building strong systems of support for families in Livingston County.
The event reminded us that advocacy isn’t just about policy, it’s about people. It’s about making space for reflection, connection, and transformation. We’re grateful for this day of learning, and we’re coming home more committed than ever to listening to families and lifting their voices in every space where decisions are made.
Together, we are building the future, starting right here in Livingston County.
