Each Child. Every Community.

Smart Start Addresses Governor Cooper’s Proposed Budget Recommendations Proposal Reflects Longstanding Commitment and Investments in North Carolina’s Young Children, Families, and Teachers   RALEIGH- Governor Cooper’s proposed budget recommendations, Securing […]

The Black Maternal Health Crisis in North Carolina: A Call for Change Maternal health disparities continue to persist in the United States, and North Carolina is no exception. While pregnancy […]

Smart Start Partnerships can implement 60+ evidence-based and informed solutions with state funding The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) and the Smart Start Network developed Smart Solutions: Effective Birth-to-Five […]

Honoring each family starts with understanding the systems they live in February is Black History Month and Family Support Awareness Month. While these two celebrations may seem separate, they are […]

At the heart of Smart Start’s mission is the belief that quality early childhood care and education is essential for long-term success. These are fields that have been profoundly shaped […]

Smart Start Will Implement Tri-Share Pilot Program in Three Regions – Download This Release as PDF The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) is partnering with the Division of Child […]

The Smart Start Network works year-round to ensure children and families thrive, creating a brighter future for each child in every community. To celebrate the new year, Smart Start will […]

The Smart Start Network works year-round to ensure children and families thrive, creating a brighter future for each child in every community. To celebrate the new year, Smart Start will […]

The Smart Start Network works year-round to ensure children and families thrive, creating a brighter future for each child in every community. To celebrate the new year, Smart Start will […]

The Smart Start Network works year-round to ensure children and families thrive, creating a brighter future for each child in every community. To celebrate the new year, Smart Start will […]

The Smart Start Network works year-round to ensure children and families thrive, creating a brighter future for each child in every community. To celebrate the new year, Smart Start will […]

The Smart Start Network works year-round to ensure children and families thrive, creating a brighter future for each child in every community. To celebrate the new year, Smart Start will […]

About the NC Healthy & Resilient Communities Initiative Hosted by NCPC, the NC Healthy & Resilient Communities Initiative (NC HRCI) commenced in 2019 with a core mission of creating resilience […]

Guest Blog Post: Our Children’s Place Smart Start offers evidence-based and evidence-informed, family-focused programs that offer support and education to increase parental knowledge of development, enhance parent confidence, and increase […]

The NC Healthy & Resilient Communities Initiative Offers A Trauma Informed Organizational Assessment Training Trauma can have a significant impact—effecting each of us, those that we work with, and organizations […]

The Smart Start Network has worked alongside Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) to distribute over 15 million books to children across North Carolina. Smart Start and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library- […]

Everything Happens in the Context of Relationships! At PBS North Carolina’s 2023 Impact Early Childhood Education Summit, Daphne Alsiyao, NCPC’s Family Support Manager, and Christina Peterson, Child and Family Health […]

– For Immediate Release (Download press release PDF) – New Website Will Engage Communities Statewide Around Resilience Download press release PDF RALEIGH- Resilient North Carolina, a website created by the […]

Smart Start Recognizes the Impact of Community Based Doulas We must continue to reduce health inequities for black children and their families. We must do better. Smart Start’s mission is […]

Healthy & Resilient Communities Dashboard Launched as Part of the NC Healthy & Resilient Communities Initiative The NC Healthy & Resilient Communities Initiative (NC HRCI) hosted by NCPC works to […]

Early health and development support is critical towards ensuring children grow into healthy adults. In celebration of National Nutrition Month, Smart Start is celebrating the work of Local Partnerships in […]

Early health and development support is critical towards ensuring children grow into healthy adults. In celebration of National Nutrition Month, Smart Start is celebrating the work of Local Partnerships in […]

Early health and development support is critical towards ensuring children grow into healthy adults. In celebration of National Nutrition Month, Smart Start is celebrating the work of Local Partnerships in […]

The Smart Start Network works year-round to ensure children and families are supported, creating a brighter future for each child in every community. Each Local Partnership provides critical social and […]

The Smart Start Network works year-round to ensure children and families are supported, creating a brighter future for each child in every community. Each Local Partnership provides critical social and […]

The Smart Start Network works year-round to ensure children and families are supported, creating a brighter future for each child in every community. Each Local Partnership provides critical social and […]

by Mebane Boyd, NCPC’s Resilient Communities Officer   “THANK YOU! This made a tremendous difference in my professional journey, which impacts all other areas of my life. Thank you for making […]

The Smart Start Network works year-round to ensure children and families are supported, creating a brighter future for each child in every community. Each Local Partnership provides critical social and […]

The Smart Start Network works year-round to ensure children and families are supported, creating a brighter future for each child in every community. Each Local Partnership provides critical social and […]

by Mary Sonnenberg, M.Ed., President of the Partnership for Children of Cumberland County We have all heard the adage: I want “better” for my children. With 20 years of evidence-based research, the […]

– For Immediate Release (Download press release PDF) – NC Home Visiting & Parenting Education System Receives Funding to Improve arenting Supports Across North Carolina Press Release for NC Home […]

Smart Start is working across the state to elevate the voices of family leaders and support them in advocating for their children and their communities. Governor Cooper recognizes the importance […]

Smart Start is working across the state to elevate the voices of family leaders and support them in advocating for their children and their communities. Governor Cooper recognizes the importance […]

By: Lissette Rodriguez, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Rockingham Partnership for Children (RCPC) Smart Start is working across the state to elevate the voices of family leaders and support […]

“We need to center children and families in how we approach this work and think about them as holistic people…human beings who need a whole range of services. That’s why […]

– For Immediate Release (Download press release PDF) – NC Healthy & Resilient Communities Initiative Funds 9 Nonprofits to Support Resilience The North Carolina Healthy and Resilient Communities Initiative (NCH&RCI), […]

Juneteenth became a federally recognized holiday in 2021. While the holiday may feel like a new holiday for many, there are so many Americans who have been celebrating Juneteenth throughout […]

“Early childhood is a public good and needs to be invested in”, Teri Talan, Senior Policy Advisor to the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership  Early childhood professionals met at […]

During this time of political polarization, it is such an inspiration to see legislators who find common ground in their support for early childhood. There are compassionate, smart, and responsible […]

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adverse Community Environments (Pair of ACEs) have lifelong consequences for health and well-being. The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) is committed to reducing adverse childhood […]

Eat, breathe, sleep resilience-Tamra Jo Church, Resilient North Carolina Collaborative Coalition (RNCCC) and CCSAP Resilience Collaborative Smart Start conference attendees joined together to explore the importance of building resilient communities, […]

“We have built a stepping stone not a stumbling block…,” “We have built a stepping stone not a stumbling block…,” Senator Howard Lee reminded us, as he and Senator Michael […]

As I reflect on my second Week of the Young Child while serving at Smart Start, I am deeply grateful for the warm welcome I received in visits to Smart […]

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and to bring awareness to child abuse prevention, North Carolina organizations are lifting up prevention tools and spreading awareness of child abuse. Prevent […]

Smart Start local partnerships work across the state; supporting children comprehensively by ensuring high quality child care, promoting early literacy, supporting families with programs that improve parenting skills, and advancing […]

Smart Start’s efforts to support children and their families and improve early childhood outcomes in every community in every county began in 1993. Today, many children attend high-quality early care […]

Many wonderful blog posts written in honor of Black History Month, especially those posted by organizations with aligned missions such as ours at Smart Start, working to improve the lives […]

In celebration of Family Support Awareness Month, Smart Start is taking time to recognize the importance of home visiting and parenting education services to early childhood development. Smart Start will […]

In celebration of Family Support Awareness Month, Smart Start is taking time to recognize the importance of home visiting and parenting education services to early childhood development. Smart Start will […]

In celebration of Family Support Awareness Month, Smart Start is taking time to recognize the importance of home visiting and parenting education services to early childhood development. Smart Start will […]

Recognizing the Impact of Home Visiting & Parenting Education By Amy Cubbage, President of the North Carolina Partnership for Children Today the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Smart Start, the North Carolina […]

This week Smart Start celebrated a major milestone –10 million books sent to North Carolina children through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library! Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of […]

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 38 million Americans, including 12 million children, were food insecure in 2019. In North Carolina, 1.4 million people are food insecure, including […]

“Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its […]

The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) has released Shape NC: Celebrating the Shape NC Journey, a report highlighting  Shape NC’s efforts to develop healthy lifestyles in young children across […]

In celebration of the upcoming new year, Smart Start is celebrating our hard work and taking this time to recognize the role of Smart Start local partnerships in each community. Smart […]

In celebration of the upcoming new year, Smart Start is celebrating our hard work and taking this time to recognize the role of Smart Start local partnerships in each community. Smart […]

In celebration of the upcoming new year, Smart Start is celebrating our hard work and taking this time to recognize the role of Smart Start local partnerships in each community. Smart […]

In celebration of the upcoming new year, Smart Start is celebrating our hard work and taking this time to recognize the role of Smart Start local partnerships in each community. Smart […]

In celebration of the upcoming new year, Smart Start is celebrating our hard work and taking this time to recognize the role of Smart Start local partnerships in each community. Smart […]

In celebration of Family Engagement Month, Smart Start and our collaborative partners are taking this time to recognize and celebrate the important role of families in the education and well-being of their children. […]

Child care is an essential service for North Carolina families, ensuring parents can work while their young children learn and grow. However, the child care industry has been heavily affected […]

The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC), the organization that leads Smart Start across the state, announced Lisa Rash as its Chief Financial Officer. Lisa will lead the finance department […]

In celebration of Family Engagement Month, Smart Start and our collaborative partners are taking this time to recognize and celebrate the important role of families in the education and well-being of their children. […]

by Amy Cubbage  Last week, a new court order to fund the comprehensive plan was the latest development in the long-running Leandro case, which is aimed at ensuring all North Carolina students […]

Daphne Alsiyao, NCPC Family Leadership Officer When I began my career in Smart Start almost a decade ago, I was serving as a case manager for young parents at the […]

In celebration of Family Engagement Month, Smart Start and our collaborative partners are taking this time to recognize and celebrate the important role of families in the education and well-being of their children. […]

by Lisa Familo, Executive Director, The Iredell County Partnership for Young Children The Need COVID-19 has exposed the fragility of our early education workforce, all of which predated the arrival […]

October is an exciting month for Smart Start’s Family Connects pilot sites; all three sites launched and began serving the families of newborns! These sites, covering eight counties, will serve […]

by Amy Cubbage, NCPC President   Along with our partners at The Hunt Institute, Smart Start hosted a roundtable this week with leaders from the White House and the U.S. Department […]

Family child care is an essential service for many families throughout North Carolina, with 1,300 family child care homes that served 8,700 children in 2020.  During the pandemic, family child […]

by Amy Cubbage, President of The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) Too many of the professionals who care for and educate our youngest children receive wages that aren’t nearly […]

Farm to School is a program that ensures communities have fresh, healthy food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and education practices at schools and early care and […]

Raising Healthy Children is a Community Effort by Khadijia Tribié Reid, MD, MPH It was my turn. After two years of providing guidance to thousands of parents as the town pediatrician, […]

Child care providers and teachers work daily to ensure children have the support they need to thrive. However, as the state continues to battle the pandemic, early child care providers […]

The Smart Start network understands that North Carolina families’ needs are great in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and their continued struggles have impacts for us all. Difficulty finding […]

My first year with NCPC and Smart Start has come to a close. Like many folks, these past 12 months were a time of tremendous change for me, both personally […]

A new statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) makes a clear connection between early childhood health and resilience. The statement emphasizes the importance of building safe, stable, and […]

Today is Women’s Equality Day, when the nation marks the contributions that women have made to our democracy and progress toward realizing full equality of opportunity. The day recognizes the […]

This is an article written by Amy Cubbage, President of the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) and originally running in the Perspectives section of the EdNC website  North Carolina […]

This is a joint blog post published by Marsha Basloe, President of Child Care Services Association, and Amy Cubbage, President of the North Carolina Partnership for Children. You may download this post as […]

“We envision a world in which every family is supported at every step along the infant feeding journey, with warm and coordinated hand-offs and transitions so that the needs of […]

“Working in ECE begins a route to poverty for many” – Dr. Ashley Williams, Center for the Study of the Child Care Employment. Smart Start conference attendees joined together to […]

The pandemic created unprecedented challenges for the early childhood sector. However, despite these challenges, federal relief funding for state and local governments and a renewed focus on the importance of […]

The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) is proud to announce that Rachael Burrello has been named the first Director of the NC Home Visiting and Parenting Education (HVPE) System. […]

“Rural is not a problem to be solved, it is an opportunity to be unlocked.” Smart Start Conference attendees heard this important statement from Todd Brantley, vice president of Public […]

The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) has released Building Healthy & Resilient Communities Across North Carolina: One Community at a Time, a landscape analysis that supports local coalitions and […]

NCPC will partner with the Department of Child Development and Early Education in a multi-year contract to elevate the voices, needs, and experiences of families within their communities. This contract […]

Since December of 2017, Smart Start has sent over 8 million books to young children across North Carolina through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL)! This milestone is a testament to […]

North Carolina is moving toward a comprehensive system of home visiting and parenting education. NCPC is a leader in this effort, which will improve families’ access to a range of […]

The North Carolina General Assembly is deep into the 2021 Long Session. There are several big new opportunities for North Carolina to increase its level of investment in early childhood. […]

In a journey that began in 2010, Shape NC: Healthy Starts for Young Children, sunset on December 31, 2020 (the Healthy Starts for Infants and Toddlers project ends September 2021). […]

Nearly 10,000 Families in Eight Counties to Be Served The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC), which leads the statewide Smart Start network, and Family Connects International (FCI) announced new […]

As the state’s comprehensive early childhood system, Smart Start is committed to doing our part to ensure a sound basic education beginning at birth. This week the comprehensive action plan […]

New bipartisan legislation introduced in the General Assembly would provide tools and support to help North Carolina children and families recover from the ongoing challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. […]

Governor Cooper proclaimed February Parenting Education Awareness Month. Early childhood home visiting and parenting education (HVPE) programs ensure children are ready to learn, improve child health, and keep children safe. […]

Through funding support from the Division of Public Health and Kate B. Reynolds, Smart Start is launching a Resilient Communities Initiative. The purpose of the Resilient Communities Initiative is to build […]

Shape NC: Healthy Starts for Young Children is funded by AmeriCorps (formerly known as the Corporation for National and Community Service), which is an federal agency whose mission is to […]

$5 Million in CARES Act Funds Allocated by NCDHHS to Impact N.C. Families FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  | Date:  October 21, 2020  |  Contact:  Sara Lang – slang@smartstart.org, 984.221.1580  | Download PDF Raleigh, […]

Family Forward NC COVID-19 Rapid Response Program Supporting children and families is critical, especially as the early childhood system grapples with challenges brought on by COVID-19. One way to support […]

Now more than ever, as communities are facing both the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ongoing crisis of racial injustice and police violence, there are even more significant needs for support […]

Former Early Childhood Educator and Attorney is Named as New President The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC), the organization that leads Smart Start across the state, announced today that […]

Many collaboratives, networks, and organizations focused on resilience building have shifted to providing support specific to the impacts of COVID-19, while others are increasing their commitment to offer community convenings […]

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. While this time […]

A sound, basic education begins at birth. The court in Leandro has affirmed what educators and the early childhood community know: “a high-quality early foundation for learning is critical for later success in […]

In December 2019, DCDEE was notified that North Carolina was one of 20 states and territories awarded the three-year renewal grant through the B-5 Preschool Development Grant. There are four […]

What is Leandro v. North Carolina?  Leandro v. North Carolina is a lawsuit filed in 1994 by five low-wealth school districts who claimed that they did not have enough money […]

Smart Start strives to advance child health by working with providers, health departments, families, and communities to improve the health and safety for young children.  Because a mother and her […]

On Nov. 19, UNC-TV broadcasted a statewide viewing of the RESILIENCE documentary, as part of #ResilienceWeek. The Twitter Town Hall that followed the broadcast directly engaged almost 8,000 people, with […]

Why and how to develop a Human Resources Board Committee: The Board’s Role in Human Resource Management (Nonprofit HR and BoardSource)The Nonprofit Board’s Role in Human Resource Management (BoardSource Blog)The Nonprofit […]

No Small Matter is a feature-length documentary film and national engagement campaign that brings public attention to this vital question by sharing powerful stories and stunning truths about the human […]

In the age of technology, screens are everywhere. According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 84% of U.S. households own a smartphone and 68% of households own at least one […]

Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina (PCANC) has launched Connections Matter NC, a new public awareness campaign focused on engaging North Carolinians to build caring and supportive connections in communities across […]

Smart Start was founded on the premise that North Carolina communities vary greatly in demographics, resources and assets, and require community-developed solutions. To guide the development of these solutions, Smart […]

Join Smart Start for Resilience Week, starting November 18th! This multi-platform campaign is supported by organizational and institutional partners across the state and is designed to achieve the following impact […]

The Catawba Partnership for Children and the Catawba Leadership Academy are installing 12 Little Free Libraries to encourage families to grab a free book.  Little Free Libraries, free standing, weather-resistant […]

From “Board Engagement” National Council of Nonprofits website. Bringing on a terrific board member is only the first step. Taking time to ensure that each board member becomes personally invested […]

In 2017, Durham County rallied stakeholders to engage in developing a taskforce to drive efforts to improve early childhood outcomes for children in the county. The work of the task […]

Ever wonder about the history of preschool in the United States? In the 1960s only ten percent of the nation’s three and four-year olds were enrolled in a classroom setting.  Head Start, the […]

On average, children can spend 36 hours a week in childcare. Therefore, it is so important to promote healthy and safe indoor and outdoor environments in early care and education settings. Here […]

Robeson County Partnership for Children has been funding use of the CLASS tool and My Teaching Partner Coaching with teachers since 2013. My Teaching Partner is designed to address the […]

Quality Early Educators are essential for an effective early childhood system. For ECE systems leaders in a community, it is critical that they engage in advocating for the workforce—helping to […]

Engaging families in early childhood programs is not about parents attending parent-teacher conferences or volunteering in the classroom, it’s about creating opportunities where families are seen as equal partners and […]

In July of 2017 The Orange County Partnership for Young Children transitioned from implementing Every Child Ready to Read to the project Time to Read which incorporates training child care […]

Family Connects, formerly Durham Connects, is the first home visiting model used for entire community. Results already show the positive impact of the program in Durham and the model has […]

In North Carolina, home visiting programs, such as Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) and Parents As Teachers (PAT) Intervention, are the primary services for supporting families and young children to reduce […]

Think Babies™ NC is an initiative to build public awareness and policymaker support for North Carolina’s youngest children and their families. Seven Smart Start local partnerships received Community Partner Mini-Grants […]

The Partnership for Children of Lenoir and Green Counties hosted a one year celebration of Lenoir County StoryWalk. The celebration included a scavenger hunt, gardening, physical activity, and an opportunity […]

Over $400,000 is going to communities across the state for Healthy Starts for Infants and Toddlers: Shape NC. The program is designed to promote nutrition and active learning through play […]

MEDIA ALERT April 25, 2019Press Contact: Heather Strickland – 919-749-5013, 919-821-9566 National Experts in Early Education Headline Smart Start Conference Essence Magazine Founder, Susan L. Taylor, to Deliver Closing Keynote […]

Thanks to programing implemented by Orange County Partnership for Young Children (OCPYC) rates of young children at an unhealthy weight have dropped.  In 2006, OCPYC initiated the Healthy Kids Campaign to raise funds […]

Buncombe Partnership for Children received a $400,000 grant to help expand the Western North Carolina (WNC) Early Childhood Workforce Development Program which addresses the shortage of early childhood educators. Buncombe […]

Just Ask! : One CFLE’s Lesson Learned in Becoming a Culturally Responsive Home Visitor by Ebonyse Mead, EdD, CFLE (Certified Family Life Educator) Home visiting programs offer coordinated and comprehensive […]

MEDIA ALERT February 28, 2019Press Contact: Heather Strickland 919-749-5013, 919-821-9564 Smart Start Celebrates 25 Years and Statewide Rollout of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Evening to include special presentation and performance […]

Local Partnership hosts Sixth Annual Early Education Summit  Alamance Partnership for Children hosted its Sixth Annual Early Education Summit on January 22.  The Summit created a forum for the local community […]

The Partnership for Children of Cumberland County and 40 other agencies met as part of a collective movement to ensure that all families and children lead healthy and prosperous lives.  The Partnership […]

Literacy program that delivers books directly to children under five now available in every county FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 13, 2018Press Contact: Heather Strickland 919-749-5013, 919-821-9564, hstrickland@smartstart.org Raleigh, NC – The […]

This article written by Bruce Y. Lee and published in Forbes shares information from a study presented at Nutrition 2018, the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting that found 99 […]

Click here to see the Healthy People 2020 Infographic published by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.  There are still gains to be made in daily vegetable intake […]

This article by Lillian Mongeau connects physical fitness and cognitive performance for students.  The research around this has lead to a growing number of politicians and educators recognizing the importance […]

In the wake of Hurricane Florence, Smart Start partnerships are working together and with other organizations to bring help to their communities.  The Pamlico Partnership for Childrenpartnered with the Pamlico County […]

This article by Taylor Knopf shares information about a CDC’s High Obesity Program grant awarded to Lee, Edgecome, Halifax and Northampton counties in North Carolina to reduce obesity and promote […]

For Immediate Press/News Release Date: August 16, 2018 Contact: Charles C. Ivey, Executive Director – civey@pfcw.org – 919.735.3371 ext. 225 The Partnership for Children has begun a search for a new […]

In the last year the Partnership for Children of Johnston County  celebrated the grand opening of the Partnership for Children Park. The park was developed as a joint initiative between the partnership and […]

This article written by Danielle Collier makes the connection between increased screen time and reduction in physical activity for children which can lead to negative health outcomes.  The article also […]

This article by Chloe Reichel refers to an April 2018 study published in Pediatrics which found that offering families financial assistance through the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children to […]

This article by Grace Derocha gives some strategies for parents to talk to their children about healthy lifestyles.  She also highlights  the important role parents and guardians play to model […]

Smart Start Healthy Families Mecklenburg is a home visiting program that provides education on healthy pregnancy, child development, healthy life choices, and links to community resources through services provided by […]

In the last fiscal year, Catawba County’s local partnership, Catawba County Partnership for Children, assigned nurses and Child Care Health Consultants (CCHC) to 32 children in childcare.  Of these 32 children, […]

Post by Ebonyse Mead, MA, MS, CFLE and Kara Lehnhardt, MBA “Whoa!? Is this for real?!”  That was our reaction when we first encountered the data describing just how many young […]

The General Assembly adjourned its special session on February 13th after passing HB 90, which addressed a number of policy issues including a compromise plan to phase in the new […]

Healthy Eating Starts Early: Growing Healthy Kids with CACFP and Farm to School ECE This article by Alexia Thex, National CACFP Sponsors Association highlights the success story of Kelly Rood, […]

Shift Needed in Understanding Risks in Play Environments This article shares the perspective of Bambi Yost, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at Iowa State University.  Since the 1960s, there has […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  –  February 2, 2018 | Press Contact: Heather Strickland – 919-821-9564 Early Literacy Program to be a Part of Well-Child Visits RALEIGH, NC— Eighteen Smart Start local partnerships […]

The Secret Power of Play  This article by Siobhan O’Connor focuses on the importance of play during early childhood. Scientists have learned that free play is not just something children […]

New global estimates of child and adolescent obesity released on World Obesity Day  This article highlights the study published in the Lancet which analyzed weight and height in which nearly […]

Tackling Childhood Obesity is about More Than Just Diet and Exercise – This article from the Independent on the importance of effective movement as it pertains to the increase of […]

$10 million provided to deliver books right into the hands of North Carolina’s youngest children FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:  Heather Strickland – hstrickland@smartstart.org, 919-821-9564 Spruce Pine, NC — Smart Start and […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  |  June 20, 2017 Press Contact: Heather Strickland 919-821-9564, 919-749-5013 hstrickland@smartstart.org The following joint statement from Dolly Parton and Cindy Watkins, President of the North Carolina Partnership […]

Shared Measures of Success to Put North Carolina Children on a Pathway to Grade-Level Reading is a new report that outlines the research basis behind the NC Pathways to Grade-Level Reading Measures […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 1, 2017 Press Contact: Heather Strickland, 919-821-9564, hstrickland@smartstart.org Statement from Cindy Watkins, President, The North Carolina Partnership for Children The following statement is in response to […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE = February 24, 2017 Press Contact: Heather Strickland – 919-821-9564, hstrickland@smartstart.org Two Smart Start Local Partnerships Take the Lead on Fighting Early Childhood Obesity [North Carolina] – […]

New research from Nobel Laureate economist James J. Heckman and colleagues finds that comprehensive, birth-to-age-five early childhood programs can produce higher economic returns than those previously established for preschool programs […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 2016 Press Contact: Heather Strickland, 919-821-9564, hstrickland@smartstart.org   New Study Shows ABCD Increases Number of Young Children Being Detected for Developmental Delays [Raleigh, NC] – A […]

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 17, 2016 Press Contact: Heather Strickland, 919-821-9564, hstrickland@smartstart.org The following statement is in response to a study by Duke University researchers that found that children who […]

Over 40,000 Books Given to Children Through Smart Start and Reach Out & Read Recent Report Says Parents Participating in the Program Are More Likely to be Reading with Young Children […]

Congratulations to Wilkes Community Partnership for Children for receiving a  grant from the Carolina Panthers and the NFL. This grant will be used to purchase 40 activity kits for the […]

Join us in congratulating this most recent cohort of BFCCD awardees! Five Gold-Starred Building Block Designation: Hawfields Child Care– Mebane, NC Two Gold-Starred Building Block Designation: Covenant Child Care Center, […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 16, 2016 Press Contact: Heather Strickland – 919-821-9564, $4 million from Social Innovation Fund will instill healthy behaviors in our youngest children for communities across North Carolina […]

This post is part of a series written by Smart Start leaders chosen to participate in the Equity Leaders Action Network (ELAN), launched by The BUILD Initiative in 2015. Over […]

This post is part of a series written by Smart Start leaders chosen to participate in the Equity Leaders Action Network (ELAN), launched by The BUILD Initiative in 2015. Over […]

Four early childhood leaders from North Carolina’s Smart Start network have been selected to participate in the Equity Leaders Action Network (ELAN), a group dedicated to advancing racial equity in […]

The goal of this project is to build the first-in-the nation Child Care Health Consultant Certification (CCHC-C) process to address the need for qualified on-site support for health and safety […]

N.C.’s Breastfeeding-Friendly Designations Go To Eleven Child Care Centers The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health (DPH) launched its fourth North Carolina Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care […]

The BUILD Initiative has launched an Equity Leaders Action Network (ELAN) to support leaders who have responsibility at the state or county level for early childhood systems. North Carolina is […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Date: June 1, 2015 Contact: Heather Strickland – hstrickland@smartstart.org, 919-821-9564 RALEIGH — For the 12th consecutive year, The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC) has […]

President Cindy Watkins talked to WPTF about the work that the Smart Start network is doing to expand Reach Out and Read, an early literacy program, across the state.  Listen […]

Against all odds, prekindergarten is gaining ground. President Obama called again in his State of the Union address for Congress to support high-quality preschool for all, noting that 30 states […]

President Cindy Watkins talked to WPTF about the work that the Smart Start network is doing to expand Reach Out and Read, an early literacy program, across the state.  Listen […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: January 8, 2015 Contact: Heather Strickland, hstrickland@smartstart.org, 919-821-9564 RALEIGH, NC—The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) announced the award of $67,500 to Smart Start partnerships across North […]

The Partnership for Children (PFC) of Cumberland County was included in a “playbook” released by the White House as part of an effort to support state and local elected officials […]

For first-time mothers especially, the hardships and stress that come along with parenting can be overwhelming, and in some cases require the help of at-home visits by a health care […]

Early Learning Professional Development Conference Smart Start of Forsyth County, Inc. (SSFC) will host the 17th annual Early Learning Professional Development Conference Saturday Jun 21 at the Sundance Plaza Hotel […]

Cindy Watkins to Lead the State-Wide Network that Helps Ensure All NC Children Start School Healthy And Ready To Learn The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC), the organization that […]

Annual Award Presented to Those Who Have “Walked the Razor’s Edge” for Children of North Carolina Stephanie Fanjul, President of The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC), has been […]

For many obese adults, the die was cast by the time they were 5 years old. A major new study of more than 7,000 children has found that a third […]

Jan. 29, 2014 Against all odds, prekindergarten is gaining ground. President Obama called again in his State of the Union address for Congress to support high-quality preschool for all, noting […]

Three Year Results Show Significant Improvements in Healthy Eating and Physical Activity in Child Care Programs Across the State. RALEIGH, NC — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina […]

A Message from NCPC President Stephanie Fanjul The federal shutdown had the potential to impact over 36,000 children under five who were at risk of losing their child care, but […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Heather Strickland – hstrickland@smartstart.org, 919-821-9564 NC Partnership for Children Hosts Faith Summits Across State Faith Leaders Will Discuss the Vital Role They Play in Building Strong Foundations […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Heather Strickland – hstrickland@smartstart.org, 919-821-9564 Expert Taskforce Releases Recommendations for Obesity Prevention for State’s Youngest Children Shape NC Highlighted as Key Part of Strategy to Create […]

The Rally4Babies is only one week away! On Monday, July 8 at 2 PM Eastern Time, connect live with event speakers, presenters, and thousands of early childhood advocates in support […]

(ChildCare Aware of America) Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) have introduced a bill to reauthorize the Child Care […]

11th Consecutive Year Receiving a “Clean Bill” of Financial Health For the 11th consecutive year, The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC) has a “clean bill” of financial health, […]

Between 2011 and 2012, more child care center directors, teachers and family child care providers have increased their levels of education, according to a study by the Child Care Services […]

“The quality of the interactions and experiences that our communities provide for children either strengthens or undermines children’s development,” said Al Race, Deputy Director of the Center on the Developing […]

  “The General Assembly finds, upon consultation with the Governor, that every child can benefit from, and should have access to, highquality early childhood education and development services. The economic […]

Sue Russell, one of the key leaders and architects of North Carolina’s early childhood system, was awarded the Karen W. Ponder Leadership Award at the 2013 National Smart Start Conference. […]

When I think of pioneering efforts to improve the lives of young children in the United States, Smart Start comes to the top of the list. Over the past 20 […]

For twenty years, a cadre of committed policymakers, advocates, state administrators, local nonprofits, providers, business leaders, and parents have been working to ensure that children born in North Carolina have […]

On behalf of the worldwide network of Parents as Teachers affiliates, I would like to congratulate and thank Smart Start for your incredible contributions to early childhood development. You were […]

Over the past 20 years the vision and leadership provided by Smart Start has been invaluable to early care and education policy makers and practitioners across the United States. Long […]

Smart Start was the smartest start America could have made for its young children!! In Smart Start, North Carolina established not only notable services for children and families and a […]

The federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) provides block grant funding to states to support early care and education services. North Carolina’s CCDF Plan for FFY 2014-15 is ready for review […]

If we invest in programs that promote learning beginning at birth, the statistics will change, the stories will change, the future will change….

CHARLOTTE, NC – If current education and labor market trends continue, North Carolina could face a shortage of 46,000 workers in the coming years, due largely to the gap between […]

It has been a great month for early childhood development. Following the President’s State of the Union address last month, it seems you can’t turn on the radio or open […]

Governor Pat McCrory has appointed early childhood expert, Dr. Nancy H. Brown, chair of the board of The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC), the organization that leads Smart […]

Each year in North Carolina, 21,000 children are born to first-time, low-income mothers who are at the greatest risk of suffering health, education and economic disparities – disparities that perpetuate […]

In 2010, the North Carolina General Assembly asked the NC Institute of Medicine to convene a task force to study the adequacy of the current systems serving the mental health, […]

The Louisiana Department of Education, along with the Department of Children and Family Services and Department of Health and Hospitals, released a Request for Applications (RFA) for communities to participate […]

The PreK-3rd Grade National Work Group announces the last webinar of its 8-part series: Scale and Sustainability: Implications for State and District Policy Wednesday, January 30, 2013 – 3:00pm to […]

Chapel Hill, NC – The Board of Directors of Child Care Services Association (CCSA) is pleased to announce the selection of Anna Carter as its new President and CEO. Carter […]

(Action for Children)–The recession continues to take a heavy toll on children and families in North Carolina as current economic conditions are expected to remain similar to those of a year ago–and […]

Those seeking to reduce deficits and strengthen North Carolina’s economy should make significant investments in early childhood education, according to a new publication by Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman. The Fact […]

Fewer children and families are benefitting from programs that increase the learning and healthy development of children birth to five. While Smart Start continues to increase the quality of its […]

On November 13, 2012, six North Carolina business people released a new report at a press conference in Raleigh, which highlighted the short- and long-term economic benefits of investments in […]

Business Leaders’ Press Conference at Raleigh Pre-school on Tuesday November 13 at 10 a.m. Early care and education investments generate millions in economic activity for North Carolina businesses and improve […]

RALEIGH – Data released today by NC Child Fatality Task Force show that child death rates in North Carolina ticked downward slightly in 2011 to the lowest rate yet recorded. […]

Last month Governor Perdue announced her decision to utilize $20 million dollars for NC Pre-K. Since the announcement, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Governor’s office […]

(Action for Children) Data released by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services yesterday show, after reaching the lowest recorded rate in state history, North Carolina’s infant mortality […]

From the Public Education Network Weekly NewsBlast: A new report from First Focus and Save the Children gives the country a letter grade of C- in child well being. The […]

ASHEBORO, N.C. – Thousands of children across North Carolina are learning to play in the dirt again. It’s part of a statewide effort to increase the health and nutrition education […]

From the Public School Forum of NC: Governor Candidates Q&A The Public School Forum recently reached out to candidates running in the November 2012 General Election for the office of […]

The Child Fatality Task Force has a number of meetings scheduled for October. All meetings are from 10 until 1 in room 1027 of the Legislative Building in Raleigh.  The […]

The National Governors Association has published a new white paper titled, Governors Role in Aligning Early Education and K-12 Reforms: Challenges, Opportunities, and Benefits for Children. The paper calls on […]

The share of children in North Carolina living in households falling below the poverty line remains alarmingly high, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Last year, […]

Online Registration is now open! https://www.wakeahec.org/CourseCatalog/CASCE_courseinfo.asp?cr=37279 A brochure also is available outlining the day’s events. Ed Tronick, Ph.D., internationally known for the Still Face experiment, will be the featured speaker […]

Online Registration is now open!  https://www.wakeahec.org/CourseCatalog/CASCE_courseinfo.asp?cr=37279 A brochure also is available outlining the day’s events. Ed Tronick, Ph.D., internationally known for the Still Face experiment, will be the featured speaker at […]

A new paper by The Urban Institute examines four critical questions related to the lasting impact of child poverty. What share of newborns is poor, and how often do these […]

A study published in Pediatrics finds that maternal depressive symptoms during infancy may affect physical growth in early childhood. The researchers call for prevention, early detection, and treatment of maternal […]

Whooping Cough (pertussis) cases are increasing across the country and North Carolina. A Forsyth County infant, just two-months old, recently died from Whooping Cough. Newborns and infants have not completed […]

Researchers from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reported recently on the most significant findings from a twenty-five year study on families and children. The Family Child Study […]

Saki Knafo asks, “Will Preschool Budget Cuts Damage a Generation?” in a feature article in The Huffington Post. The article takes a close look at North Carolina’s early learning efforts […]

Annual statistics compilation notes increases in poverty, drop in secure parental employment The infant mortality rate, the preterm birth rate, and the adolescent birth rate all continued to decline, average […]

Research shows that early experiences, from age 0 to 5, have a strong influence on a child’s developing brain, providing a time of great opportunity and vulnerability.The NCIOM Task Force […]

Today, the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled affirm the Superior Court Judge Howard Manning’s order mandating the State to not deny any eligible “at-risk” four year old admission to […]

Quality child care is becoming increasingly difficult to afford for working families According to a report released today by Child Care Aware® the cost of child care continues to increase […]

Shape NC, a partnership between The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) Foundation and  The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC) to address  early childhood obesity, is […]

The North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force (CFTF)is introducing a new process for individuals and organizations to propose issues for the Task Force’s attention. “The goal is to assure that […]

Major General Charles Luckey discusses why early childhood development is critical to our national security at the 2012 National Smart Start Conference. He is the Assistant to the Chairman, Joint […]

A Fresh Look at Child Well-Being Revamped KIDS COUNT Data Book Shows Improving Health, Declining Economic Security for Children in North Carolina (RALEIGH, NC)- If the new analysis released by […]

(FORT BRAGG, N.C.)– A new report by Action for Children North Carolina finds that between 2001 and 2010 there were 251 homicides by parent/caregiver (HPC) of children from birth through […]

The 2013 Young Scholars Competition FCD’s Young Scholars Program (YSP) supports a new generation of scholars conducting research on the development of young children (birth-10) in immigrant families, particularly those […]

Free Source for Early Childhood Development Policy and Research Updates Are you interested in early childhood development policy and research? If the answer is yes, you may want to subscribe […]

Working Paper #11: Building the Brain’s “Air Traffic Control” System: How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function Being able to focus, hold, and work with information in mind, […]

First 2000 Days Website Launched Stephanie Carroll Carson, Public News Service-NC http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/27380-1 (07/12/12) ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – The first 2,000 days of a child’s life are what education experts say […]

MILC: Growing Strong Bones for Effective Family-Based Practice Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina is currently accepting applications for participation in the Motivational Interviewing Learning Collaborative (MILC) Pilot.  This pilot will […]

Winston-Salem, NC – Smart Start of Forsyth County, Inc. (SSFC) has received a grant from The Winston-Salem Foundation to provide 529 children in the Forsyth County NC Pre-K program with […]

Excerpt from the North Carolina Incredible Years June 2012 Newsletter Susan Nixon, IY facilitator and Executive Director at Chowan/Perquimans Smart Start Partnership for Children, shared her recent IY graduation success. […]

Originally posted in the Avery Journal at http://averyjournal.com/Community/story/Children-learn-to-read-in-area-parks-this-summer-id-010003 Children learn to read in area parks this summer Justin Grimes / (averyjournalist@gmail.com) Avery County’s award winning Smart Start takes its free […]

RALEIGH—The budget released by the North Carolina General Assembly Wednesday evening provides early childhood programs with a reprieve from the damaging cuts of the past several years. At the same […]

Study on Michigan Early Childhood Efforts Provides Startling Results By Ron French/Bridge Magazine Children who attended a public pre-K school program had greater success throughout their K-12 career, including graduating at a […]

For Immediate Release from  the Covenant with North Carolina’s Children: Senate slashes infant mortality prevention programs Proposed budget draws ire from child advocates RALEIGH, NC – The Senate’s proposed budget for 2012-13 […]

BCBSNC Foundation Grant Drives More NC Produce to More NC Students The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and the BCBSNC Foundation Team Up to Expand the NC Farm to School […]

Institute State & Project Update Webinar Registration Sign up below to save a space in this 4-hour interactive webinar will provide state and project updates about early childhood professional development […]

Where are Kids on the Campaign Trail? Public News Service-NC: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/26629-2 (05/29/12) CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Advocates for children in North Carolina say the youngest Americans are being ignored so far […]

Today, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services approved a proposed budget for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The budget now will go […]

Today’s News & Observer includes an op-ed challenging North Carolina’s gubernatorial candidates to speak to early childhood education issues as part of their campaigns and specifically to devote a portion […]

The North Carolina Joint Regulatory Reform Committee filed a report with recommendations to eliminate or consolidate many commissions and boards, including the Child Fatality Task Force. Representative Marilyn Avila, co-chair of […]

Lt. Governor Walter Dalton helped kick-off the 2012 National Smart Start Conference earlier this month. He thanked the 1,000+ early childhood professionals in attendance for the hard work they do […]

Harnett County Partnership For Children Hosts Leaders For Readers Event The Daily Record 05/11/2012, Page A02 The Harnett County Partner­ship for Children (HCPC) hosted Leaders for Readers in celebra­tion of […]

Margo Mosley Receives Karen W. Ponder Leadership Award GREENSBORO— Margo Mosley, an Extension Agent in Family and Consumer Sciences at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, was awarded the  Karen W. […]

Don Bieger Receives Ashley O. Thrift Volunteer Award GREENSBORO— Don Bieger, an early childhood advocate, was honored for his service to Smart Start at the National Smart Start Conference Luncheon […]

Infusing a Developmental Approach into Child Welfare Services for Infants and Toddlers Wednesday, May 30, 2012 at 2:00 PM Eastern (1:00 PM Central, 12:00 PM Mountain, and 11:00 AM Pacific) […]

Obesity is common, serious, and costly. More than one-third of adults (35.7%) and approximately 17% of children and adolescents are obese.  Weight of the Nation brings together public health researchers […]

Dr. Olson Huff, Board Chair of The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. “We applaud Governor Perdue for putting forth a budget that heavily invests in young children, restoring millions […]

In December 2011, North Carolina was awarded one of nine Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge (ELC) grants from the US Departments of Education and Health and Human Services. This […]

Pre-Kindergarten in NC: An Effective Strategy for School Success Join us for a Webinar on May 15, 2012, 10AM – 11AM Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/397053945 Co-hosted by […]

McDowell Partnership for Children receives grant to expand Preschool Dental Program to Rutherford and Polk counties The McDowell County Partnership for Children has received a federal grant from the Health […]

May 7, 2012 2:00 – 3:30 Eastern Daylight Time Register now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/698279770 Speakers include: Fred Wulczyn, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago; Brenda Jones […]

Child Trends has published a brief that looks at how homelessness impacts the development of young children. When the Bough Breaks: The Effects of Homelessness on Young Children (February 2012) […]

NLC Case Studies to Highlight Educational Alignment for Young Children in Five Cities Click to Register! Hartford Mayor Pedro E. Segarra to Discuss Innovative Local Efforts on April 30 Webinar On […]

When it Comes to Child-Well-Being, State Investments Matter  Recent Budget Cuts to Essential Services Jeopardize North Carolina Children’s Opportunities for Success      ? (Raleigh, N.C.)-North Carolina’s investments in children and […]

The Greater Smithfield-Selma Area Chamber of Commerce wrote a letter to North Carolina legislative leaders supporting early childhood programs in the state. Chair Jason Wenzel writes, “We are sensitive to the […]

State Auditor Gives Organization Clean Bill of Financial Health For the tenth consecutive year, The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC) has a “clean bill” of financial health, according […]

Shape NC, a partnership between the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation and The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. to combat childhood obesity now has its […]

Mayor of Asheboro planting our Pinwheel garden. This was the kick-off as more than 29 others have planted gardens. Downtown Asheboro is “spinning”. Businesses have come in purchased Pinwheels and […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 88 children in the United States has been identified as having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a […]

The Partnership for Children of Lincoln & Gaston Counties is proud to introduce Michael Linker as our new Executive Director.  Mr. Linker’s selection is the result of an extensive and […]

Let’s Move! Child Care Webinar We’ve been promoting Let’s Move! Child Care, a website of resources and inspiration to improve the nutrition and healthy weight of America’s children. States are […]

John Rex Endowment Invests Nearly $1.3M in Early Childhood Development Lucy Daniels Center, Wake County Human Services and Wake County SmartStart will receive early childhood development grants totaling nearly $1.3 […]

(03/27/12) GOLDSBORO, N.C. – More than 500,000 North Carolina children are living in poverty, and more than half of them are living in extreme poverty, according to the Children’s Defense […]

From the UNC Gillings School of Public Health 17th Annual Summer Public Health Research Institute and Videoconference on Minority Health Health Equity: Progress and Pitfalls Original Date: Tuesday, June 7, […]

On March 19, 2012, the News and Observer reported that North Carolina is among a handful of states responsible for the majority of growth in high school graduation rates over […]

Today the Budget and Tax Center released a brief, “Barriers to Opportunity: The Growing Problem of Concentrated Poverty in North Carolina’s Neighborhoods”, that takes a look at the impact of […]

A study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation  finds that students who don’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave without a diploma than proficient […]

The Center for Early Literacy Learning has released several new resources. Check them out and take advantage of them! Three new CELLcasts. CELLcasts are audio/video versions of CELL practice guides […]

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College today released a comprehensive statement, […]

BUILD and the QRIS National Learning Network, in collaboration with the Early Learning Challenge Collaborative, just released a brief entitled: Unlocking the Potential of QRIS:  Trends and Opportunities in the Race to the […]

You may visit it here as well: http://www.investinus.org/tour-high-quality-classroom

North Carolina, along with 21 other states, is featured in a new report on quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS)iv. Based on interviews of child care center directors, conducted by […]

February 29, 2012 The Public News Service NAGS HEAD, N.C. – A growing number of pediatricians across North Carolina are adding one more tool to their doctor’s bag: A children’s […]

Today, the House Select Committee on Early Childhood Education Improvement released its Recommendations to the General Assembly. After releasing an initial draft earlier this week for public comment, the Committee […]

Where children live and grow has a significant impact on their current state of well-being and their future opportunities for success. In its first data snapshot of the year, the […]

The House Select Committee on Early Education Improvement has released its Report of Recommendations to the General Assembly and is requesting public comment. The draft recommendations focus almost exclusively on […]

Gov. Bev Perdue announced this morning that her administration will create 2,000 additional slots this year in NC Pre-K classrooms across North Carolina. She has identified $9.3 million that will allow […]

Hannah Matthews from CLASP summarizes how the President’s budget impacts early childhood. An $825 million increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), comprised of $325 million in […]

Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) is expected to  introduce the Healthy Kids from Day One Act, a bill that promotes obesity prevention in the child care setting.   North Carolina has been […]

Rivals cost of other high profile public health problems ATLANTA, Feb. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The total lifetime estimated financial costs associated with just one year of confirmed cases of […]

Don’t miss this opportunity!  Dr. Jack Shonkoff, Director, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, will participate in a live webcast on The Toxic Stress of Early Childhood Adversity: […]

The Early Learning Challenge Collaborative held a briefing, “Strengthening State Systems: A Closer Look at the Early Learning Challenge,” the week of January 23, 2012. Leaders from North Carolina, Maryland, […]

(University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) Adults who participated in a high quality early childhood education program in the 1970s are still benefitting from their early experiences in a […]

Yesterday, Governor Bev Perdue called on the General Assembly to restore the three-quarters of the one-cent sales tax that was eliminated during the last legislative session and dedicate those funds to […]

Today, Stephanie Fanjul, President of The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC), spoke to members of the North Carolina House Select Committee on Early Education Improvement about Smart Start. […]

True to the Nationwide slogan of being “on your side,” Midgett Insurance Agency is helping young children and families in Dare County, through a donation of $500 to Dolly Parton’s […]

Smart Start of Brunswick County has received a matching grant award from Raising a Reader for its Books for Babies in Brunswick County project.  Books for Babies partners Smart Start’s […]

Dr. Donna Bryant, a Senior Scientist at FPG Child Development Institute, tells Barlow Herget that early education works for children, especially poor, at rick children if they continue to receive a […]

Smart Start announces second round of counties to implement Shape NC RALEIGH – Smart Start, the state’s award-winning early childhood initiative, has announced the next 10 communities selected to implement […]

Congratulations to Dr. Olson Huff, Board Chair of The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., on receiving the The Lifetime Achievement Award from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation. The award […]

North Carolina is featured throughout a new report, State Issues and Innovations in Creating Integrated Early Learning and Development Systems. Written by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration […]

RALEIGH, NC—Twelve Smart Start leaders from across the state have been chosen to participate in a statewide early childhood leadership program. The Smart Start Leaders’ Collaborative is a new initiative […]

The Brookings Institution hosted a panel discussion on early education, focusing on pre-school and the Head Start program. The event centered around an article written by Dr. Steven Barnett, titled […]

The NC Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) has issued the 2011/2012 NC Pre-K Program Requirements.  DCDEE revised the requirements to align with Judge Manning’s ruling, the Executive Order 100 from Governor […]

Did you attend Head Start as a child? If so, the First Five Years Fund is hoping that you will share your story. They’ve created a new website called, Our […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug 10, 2011 Statement on Governor Perdue’s Executive Order to Protect the Academic Integrity and Accessibility of NC Pre-Kindergarten Program Today, Gov. Bev Perdue instructed the state […]

Smart Start donations comes in all shapes and sizes. Recently, The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., the organization that leads Smart Start, received a $268.76 donation from a lemonade stand […]

Margaret Samuels, the Executive Director of the Orange County Partnership for Young Children,  and Board Chair Jay Bryan, appeared on the Chapelboro radio station to explain how Smart Start serves […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE National Leaders Tout North Carolina Landmark Decision Raleigh, NC—North Carolina Superior Court Judge Howard Manning, Jr. issued the first court ruling that acknowledges the pivotal role early education […]

Superior Court Judge Howard Manning, Jr. has issued another groundbreaking ruling in the long-running Leandro lawsuit by acknowledging the pivotal role early education plays in allowing at-risk children to avail […]

Peter Morris, M.D., Medical Director of Wake County Human Services named to key child safety task force by Governor Perdue Peter J. Morris, M.D., MPH, Medical/Clinical Services Director of Wake […]

MARION — Joy Griffith, an early childhood education teacher at McDowell Technical Community College, was awarded the Karen W. Ponder Leadership Award at the 2011 National Smart Start Conference. The […]

The Down East Partnership for Children was interviewed for a segment on The Break Away Show. Program Director Wendy Price does an excellent job explaining the services available to families, […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RALEIGH-For the ninth consecutive year, The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC) has a “clean bill” of financial health, according to the Office of State Auditor. […]

  Lucy Daniels Center and Smart Start from Together NC on Vimeo. North Carolinians understand that the future of our state depends on ensuring that our young children birth to […]

The Avery County Republican Party passed a resolution in support of Smart Start and More at Four at its March 2011 meeting. It is signed by Donald R. Baker, Chair of […]

North Carolina third-graders have higher standardized reading and math scores and lower special education placement rates in those counties that had received more funding for Smart Start and More at […]

Action for Children NC, the Covenant with North Carolina’s Children, the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., NC MomsRising, the NC Pediatric Society, the Child Care Coalition and others will […]

Since 1993 there have been 36 independently conducted evaluations of Smart Start. These studies have been conducted by groups as diverse as Coopers and Lybrand (1996) and the NC State […]

Increase investments in early education, says a group of more than 80 leading business people, educators and elected officials who participated in a year-long study group organized by the Public […]

Following last week’s release of President Obama’s fiscal year 2012 budget, First Focus issued a new series of fact sheets that detail the impact of the spending proposal on children […]

In its latest issue brief, the Promising Practices Network includes high quality early education as a promising practice for promoting high school graduation. “Another major class of practices that have been […]

This weekend on News & Views, Dr. Olson Huff, board chair of The North Carolina Partnership for Children, talks about the importance of early childhood investments. To hear a preview […]

The current state of the economy has changed the context of early childhood policies and programs that impact children and families.  Olivia Golden of The Urban Institute will lead a participatory […]

On February 14, 2011, President Obama released his fiscal year 2012 budget request. First Focus, a national bipartisan child advocacy organization, has a fact sheet that provides a first look at how […]

More than 1,000 parents, business leaders, elected officials, health care providers, and early childhood professionals, representing Beaufort and Hyde Counties signed the Pledge to Protect NC Children. These individuals know […]

  Watch this video on VideoSurf or see more Dylan Ratigan Videos or Childhood (Robin Hoo Videos MSNBC’s Dan Ratigan focuses on early childhood education. He emphasized, “Educating our kids […]

Children develop the skills needed to learn to read long before they ever enter a kindergarten classroom. Early Ed Watch interviewed Gabrielle Miller, a national expert on early literacy interventions  and national […]

One of America’s most respected pediatricians, Dr. Olson Huff, M.D., has been named chairman of the board of The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC), the organization that leads […]

“Law enforcement leaders, like me, recognize that early childhood education programs are among the most powerful weapon to prevent crime and violence. One common thread among many successful students is […]

“Today’s youngest children will be the workforce of tomorrow. It won’t be enough for these future graduates to compete for jobs with others living in North Carolina or the Southeast. […]

  “Richard is teaching my assistants and me the value of a quality preschool experience and setting. He came into the early childhood inclusion program with his own language, very […]

More research that shows the relationship between high quality care  and child outcomes. The University of North Carolina-Greensboro has a new fact sheet documenting research that demonstrates North Carolina’s child care system […]

Eight communities across North Carolina will receive funding to improve their early childhood nutrition education. The new program, “Shape NC: Healthy Starts for Young Children,” is expected to reach thousands […]

America’s middle-class children have been steadily falling further behind their more privileged peers for the past quarter century – but the worst of the fallout has been held in check […]

The National Women’s Law Center recently launched a Tax Credits Outreach Campaign to ensure that more families know to claim available federal and state income tax credits. They have fliers […]

Down East Partnership for Children (DEPC) will present the Healthy Kids Collaborative (HKC) at the 26th Annual Emerging Issues Forum in Raleigh on February 7, 2011. Selected for its leadership, […]

Some in Congress have proposed cutting this fiscal year’s non-defense discretionary spending back to 2008 levels. According First Focus, that could mean children’s spending takes a big hit. Returning spending back […]

The number of certified Early Educators in North Carolina is rising. Over 12,000 Early Educators are certified and another 19,000 have applied. Nearly 75% of the workforce is on its way […]

Growing up poor can suppress a child’s genetic potential to excel cognitively even before the age of 2, according to research from psychologists at The University of Texas at Austin. […]

Abstact exerpted from Phi Delta Kappan: New discoveries in neuroscience suggest that school readiness interventions might come too late if they start after the child is three years old. Many […]

North Carolina’s Abecedarian Project is once again making news. Science Daily reports that researchers found that individuals who had received the intensive education intervention starting in infancy had significantly better health […]

Secretary Arne Duncan talks about the importance of early childhood education, and he calls on parents and citizens to get involved and “be part of the solution” in this January […]

The NC Institute for Child Development Professionals  has a new publication intended to increase awareness about some of the many qualities of a great early childhood teacher and the importance […]

On Thursday January 13, leaders of the Children’s Defense Fund and the Black Community Crusade for Children (BCCC) will release two studies showing the deepening crisis facing America’s Black children […]

In the 2008-09 school year, North Carolina spent more than $167 million dollars retaining children in kindergarten through third grade. While the number of children held back in grades K to […]

Early educators across the nation are experiencing an increase in the enrollment of dual language learners (DLLs).  The researchers at UNC’s FPG Child Development Institute have developed and tested an intervention  […]

Neural connections are formed at a rapid pace soon after birth. As NPR notes, you can almost see that happening in this video. Check out the NPR story.

“People don’t realize how early this starts,” said Dr. Sarah Armstrong, a pediatrician and the director of Duke Children’s Healthy Lifestyle Program, a clinical treatment program for obese kids. Dr. […]

“As the nation’s leader of public-private partnerships to strengthen early learning outcomes for children, Smart Start has been a primary source of policy, infrastructure and professional development support for early […]

A new study to adds to research that suggests television can have a negative impact on infants and toddlers. In a study of 259 families researchers found that babies who […]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland has posted a fantastic interview with Art Rolnick, an economist and former research director at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. He talk about how he […]

The University of Chicago Urban Education Institute and the Ounce of Prevention Fund are partnering to “build a model of public education for children and their families that begins at birth and […]

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices has released a new report: Building Ready States: A Governor’s Guide to Supporting a Comprehensive, High-Quality Early Childhood State System. “With more […]

  Former North Carolina Governor James Hunt and David Lawrence, Jr., chairman of The Children’s Trust ,former publisher of The Miami Herald, and Milk Party leader have been named keynote […]

Two organizations release new state data. The National Women’s Law Center released state-by-state fact sheets, which include information about income eligibility limits and reimbursement rates. The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s […]

While the year has been difficult and the road ahead will be challenging, Zero to Three reminds us that there were some policy improvements for infants and toddlers in 2010. […]

Sharing this cartoon that we received . . .  2010,the red broom co.

“There’s an education reform strategy that has 50 years of solid research behind it, with proven results that demonstrate how to improve student achievement. It’s a solution backed by both […]

“It was such a delight to see one of our family’s favorite recipes published in the Smartie Pies Cookbook. This recipe is such a joy to make with my three […]

Dear Senator Berger, I want to say a few words about Smart Start and what it means to my family. The most important reason that I am for Smart Start […]

Early childhood education and quality child care are among the top investments that should be increased to create the foundation for long-run economic growth according to a new report. Our […]

From First Focus: A new report reveals that even temporary spells of poverty will have lifelong health implications for children as significant evidence was found linking poverty to poor child health. […]

The Foundation for Child Development has released its 2010 Annual Report, Securing Our Future? Rethinking Public Investments in America’s Children. In the annual essay, Ruby Takanishi and Lisa Chen make […]

From Public Policy Polling: Overwhelming support from independent voters gave Republicans control of the Legislature following this month’s election.  Now they have a message for the new party in power: […]

BCBSNC Foundation Reinvests $100,000 into the Organization The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC), the organization that oversees Smart Start, recently received a $100,000 grant from the Blue Cross […]

As a young girl, Norma Bell learned to cook the classic Southern way from her mother, Mildred “Mama Dip” Council. Today, as director of Little Teddies Daycare off of Homestead […]

Kate Sylvester has written an incredibly compelling piece. It begins: In 1954, the 83rd Congress was successful in changing Armistice Day, a national holiday celebrating the heroism of our World […]

On October 13, the Center on Children and Families at Brookings and the National Institute for Early Education Research released a new collection of papers that assesses the field of […]

North Carolina has the fifth highest rate of childhood obesity in the country. More than 31 percent of North Carolina’s children ages 2 to 4 are considered at risk for […]

A new CONNECT Module on communication for collaboration is now available. This module focuses on effective communication practices that can be used to promote collaboration with professionals and families in […]

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University looked at how teacher education programs are aligned with the PreK-3rd approach. Not surprisingly perhaps, the researchers found tension between early childhood education and elementary […]

The latest population report by the U.S. Census Bureau looks at fertility and American women. Among the findings: The proportion of mothers with a recent birth who were in the […]

Young children from low-resource communities across the state will soon have access to brightly-colored, kid-friendly computer centers. With a $260,000 grant from IBM, The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. […]

The final release of papers from First Focus’ Big Ideas: Game-Changers for Children, proposes ideas for Investing in Our Nation’s Children and Future. The Children’s Budget Karen Crompton and Janis […]

It’s Our Business. This is an amazing video! Winning Beginning NY, the Committee on Economic Development, United Way of New York State, and America’s Edge have partnered on a new […]