Cass County group recognizes family friendly businesses
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Under the decal reads “A Family Friendly Business,” noting a distinction given by the Cass County Great Start Parent Coalition.
Recently, Dussel’s Farm Market in Cassopolis and The Cass District Library Branches became the ninth and tenth businesses to receive the title.
Mark Dussel, manager of Dussel’s Farm Market, and Jennifer Ray, library director, both said they were “honored to receive the award,” given annually by the Coalition to businesses meeting family-friendly criteria. Some examples of this criteria are: giving back to the community, restrooms with changing stations, allowing strollers in businesses, automatic doors and helping mothers to their vehicles, among others. Businesses must meet a minimum of four of the 25 criteria to be nominated for the title of “family friendly.”
The Cass County Great Start Coalition couples with the Cass Country Great Start Collaborative to ensure that every child in Cass County is safe, healthy, prepared and eager to succeed in school and life, according to Natasha Johnson, parent liaison for the Coalition.
“We make sure children are prepared for school by kindergarten,” Johnson said, by advocating for early-childhood issues such as health care, education and family support at local and state levels. In March, the group plans on meeting with legislators to discuss the Governor’s budget and the implications it has for early-childhood development.
Though the group has not tracked whether the decals increase traffic to businesses it deems “family-friendly,” they are content with the knowledge that there are businesses interested in serving the whole family.
