State History
Smart Start is North Carolina's nationally recognized
and award-winning early childhood initiative designed to ensure
that young children enter school healthy and ready to succeed.
Smart Start is a public-private initiative that provides early
education funding to all of the state's 100 counties. Smart Start
funds are administered at the local level through local nonprofit
organizations called Local Partnerships. The North Carolina Partnership
for Children (NCPC) is the statewide nonprofit organization that
provides oversight and technical assistance for local partnerships.
Services at the local level range depending on local needs. Funding
for Smart Start is currently $192 million in state funds. Smart
Start has raised more than $200 million in donations since it
began.
Currently, 82 local partnerships are established throughout
the state to administer funding and programs. Smart Start funds
are used to improve the quality of child care, make child care
more affordable and accessible, provide access to health services
and offer family support. Smart Start has achieved tremendous
results in these areas and continues to strive to reach all children
in North Carolina.
Smart Start has garnered much national recognition and is considered
a model for comprehensive early childhood education initiatives.
In 2001, the NCPC established a National Technical Assistance
Center to assist other states with the development of an early
education initiative.
- These standards provide a snapshot of the situation for young
children in every county of our state. They are ambitious
goals that hold the counties accountable for results, beyond
Smart
Start funding.
- One of the unique features of this system
is the challenge it provides to communities to help move
them toward the best results
for children. It acknowledges that in order to meet these ambitious
goals, it will take the whole community working together for
create solutions.
- No other state in the nation has an early
education system that holds counties accountable for specific
criteria/standards to
prepare children for school.
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