North Carolina’s Children and Families Can’t Wait for a Budget

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 families are stressed. They are tired. They are worried for...

Continue reading →

Proposed Budget a Mixed Bag for Young Children

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 time, it keeps the state’s early education system disproportionately...

Continue reading →

Governor Perdue Releases Budget, Recommends Restoring $43M in Cuts to Early Education

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 of dollars of funding cut from Smart Start and NC...

Continue reading →

Early Childhood and President Obama’s Budget

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 discretionary funding and $500 million in mandatory funding (through approval...

Continue reading →

Avery County Republican Resolution Supports Smart Start

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 the Avery County Republican Party Executive Committee. It reads: Whereas,...

Continue reading →

Duke Research Shows Smart Start Increases Third Grade Test Scores, Reduces Need for Special Education

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 Four when those children were younger, Duke University researchers...

Continue reading →

Smart Start and More at Four Needed to Reduce Dropout Rate

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 School Forum of North Carolina. Study group members were...

Continue reading →

Impact of President's Budget on Children

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 and families. Child Health Child Nutrition Early Childhood K-12 Education Income Support Child Housing Child Welfare

Continue reading →

An Interview with Dr. Olson Huff

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 of Dr. Huff’s radio interview with Chris Fitzsimon, click below: UPDATE:...

Continue reading →

How do children fare in President's budget?

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 children fare in his budget proposal. The group says,...

Continue reading →