Message from the Interim President on Smart Start’s Response to COVID-19

The Smart Start network that spans across our state has a long history of being there during challenging times for North Carolina’s youngest children and their families.

ncpc president Donna white headshot
NCPC Interim President Donna White

While this time feels different, perhaps a bit harder and more overwhelming, it has not changed our resolve to do everything we can to assist families and early educators in nurturing our youngest children.

The impact of the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has profound impacts on children, families, early childhood professionals, and communities. These impacts are felt intensely as jobs, resources, and the early childhood system are affected, and have potential long-term impacts.   

All 75 Smart Start local partnerships are working hard to lead and collaborate with organization’s in their own community to ensure that child care centers have critical expert health and safety consultation, and are connected to available resources for funding, supplies, teacher supports, and financial assistance. At the same time, they are tracking the significant needs of centers and families so that state level officials are armed with the information they need to get the right support and resources into our communities.   

Our Smart Start local partnerships are also working in innovative ways to support families.  Programs that usually provide services directly to families with infants and toddlers are adapting to new ways of working remotely.  Smart Start is providing infrastructure, guidance, and resources to help families and service providers transform these necessary programs and continue to offer parenting information and resources during this stressful time.  

While the North Carolina Partnership for Children and Smart Start local partnerships are also working in new ways, and not necessarily in our offices, we are still here for all North Carolinians.  As we work to mitigate immediate impacts, we are taking note of the cracks and gaps in community support systems for families that need repair, so we can help with state planning for the necessary improvements. 

For over 25 years, the Smart Start network has served as the critical early childhood system that brings each community together with a focus on taking care of every child. We are a powerful network of early childhood experts that know how to bring all the caregivers and community professionals in a young child’s life together to support health and development during the earliest years. We also know how to build resilient communities. Communities that will adapt, transform, and have the courage to come together in profound ways on the other side of this.  Our children’s future and our state’s future depend on it. 

We are here for you. Learn more about the Smart Start network and the local partnership in your area on our website. You can also learn more about COVID-19 guidance and information from NC Department of Health and Human Resources’ site.  

Take care of yourselves and each other.  

With gratitude,   

Donna White,
Interim President
North Carolina Partnership for Children/Smart Start 

Share This:

Comments are closed.