Each Child. Every Community.

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 of lifting up Family Voice and November has been proclaimed 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. To learn more about Smart Start’s Family Engagement & Leadership Initiative, visit the FEL section of the website.

Smart Start is working to create change locally

Smart Start is working to create change locally by intentionally expanding the roles that families play when it comes to the way decisions are made in their communities. In an effort to shift power, family leaders are sitting at tables where decisions are made and informing solutions as they are developed.

With Preschool Development Grant (PDG) Birth-5 funding, the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC), provides technical assistance opportunities to Local Partnership staff, hosts monthly Community of Practice meetings, and supports Smart Start Local Partnerships in building family engagement and leadership efforts.

In Randolph County, a Smart Start Local Partnership elevated family voices through its family engagement coalition, which was created as part of the Smart Start Family Engagement and Leadership (FEL) Initiative.

A staff member from the Randolph County Partnership for Children remarked, “Our parents were integral to our receiving $300,000 in new funds from the county, which was finalized at the Nov. 1 meeting of the Randolph County Commissioners. Voices are being heard. Families with young people are being prioritized. This marks the first significant investment in the early years by our County Government. Two of our Coalition parent members were involved in this effort”.

Likewise, the Rockingham County Partnership for Children (RCPC) participates in the FEL Initiative and, as a result, family leaders identified personal professional goals and are now receiving intentional career development opportunities through RCPC’s partnership with a community college. Additionally, RCPC is working to ensure family leaders are at the center of its Early Care and Education Action Plan and are better equipped to apply for funding in the community. RCPC also has a Family Stakeholders Advisory Council which centers the needs of families with young children in the county by sharing their experiences, voices, and strategies with community partners and policymakers.

Building with, and not for families

Currently, Smart Start Local Partnerships are participating in a series of training sessions focused on family engagement and leadership. Participating partnerships are increasing knowledge on  the Family Engagement and Leadership Framework and gaining understanding of how to create welcoming tables for family leaders.

NCPC partners with CounterPart Consulting to provide training on how to shift power at decision-making tables by utilizing a racial equity lens. Additionally, in collaboration with MomsRising, participants will also receive training on Starting Strong, a comprehensive set of tools, co-created by MomsRising and NCPC, to support agencies as they convene cross-sector coalitions and center family voices. These trainings are equipping Smart Start Local Partnerships with the tools they need to effectively engage and center the voices of families within their communities.

Building with, and not for families is impactful work that benefits communities, families and children. Imbedded in the Smart Start value-system is a family-centered mentality that recognizes that when families are seen as partners, organizations achieve sustainable outcomes for children.

Learn more about Smart Start’s Family Engagement and Leadership Initiative here…

Continue reading about the Family Engagement and Leadership Initiative…