Each Child. Every Community.

The 2025 Smart Start Conference brought together early childhood professionals, policymakers, and advocates from over 20 states and 2 countries!

Here’s a recap of the week-

Tuesday, April 29: Preconferences

We kicked off the conference with a full day of preconferences; our preconference sessions are designed to allow attendees to spend a full day immersed in a specific topic.

Joy and Intention: The Legacy of Fred Rogers in Practice | Led by the Fred Rogers Institute & Fred Rogers Productions | Designed for family support providers and educators, they explored the timeless lessons of Fred Rogers and practical tools that support children and families.

All Aboard the Change Train: Navigating NC QRIS Modernization with Confidence | Designed for early childhood Technical Assistance providers, attendees were equipped with the knowledge, tools, and strategies to confidently support child care providers through North Carolina’s QRIS Modernization.

Reimagining A New Vision and Opportunities in Early Childhood | Led by the NC Trauma-Informed Communities Project | Designed for early childhood professionals, leaders, and advocates, this relationship-centered workshop explored the systemic history, barriers, and opportunities for transformation in Early Childhood Systems.

Wednesday, April 30: Workshops, an Opening Keynote, Governor’s Address, and Flex Block

Tuesday began with our first block of workshops. Our tracks this year were: Early Care and Education; Child and Family Health; Family Support and Engagement; Public Engagement, Fundraising and Management; and Systems Building.

Opening Keynote: Our opening keynote speaker Dr. Robin Jenkins gave a talk titled We’ve Been Here Before: Lessons from Moses (not that one) About Resilience and Hope for Navigating Today’s Challenges, and offered perspectives on relational roots, the science of hope, and how childhood influences create positive, life changing impacts.

Governor’s Address: We were honored that NC Governor Josh Stein joined us for a special address. The governor reaffirmed the state’s commitment to early care and education and highlighted the importance of agencies like the North Carolina Partnership for Children and the Smart Start Network.

Afternoon Highlights: After a lunch break, the afternoon continued with workshop sessions, a break, and our flex block – a series of sessions that give attendees a chance to try something new and have fun! This year’s options were a live cooking demo and nutrition tips, tai chi, Elody sound healing, a Zumba dance class, and a screening of the documentary Make a Circle. 

Thursday, May 1: Workshops, Featured Sessions, and Networking

We started the day with two ninety-minute workshop blocks that led into lunch.

After lunch, attendees got to choose between three featured sessions-

• NC Safe Babies Court: Nurturing Through the Eyes of the Court: This session introduced the Safe Babies Court model and its five areas of focus, showing how it supports the well-being of infants and toddlers involved in child welfare. Attendees explored how the model is guiding a statewide approach and how they can support ongoing implementation and advocacy.
• Take Care: Confronting North Carolina’s Child Care Crisis: Featuring a screening of Take Care, a 20-minute documentary, this session brought North Carolina’s child care challenges to life through real stories. A panel discussion followed, exploring local efforts and policy paths forward.
• Sheltering Hope: Addressing Early Childhood Homelessness: This session examined a national policy agenda to address early childhood homelessness and what it means for North Carolina. Attendees learned how to support efforts that ensure stable housing and access to essential services for families with young children.

Networking Hour: The day concluded with a networking hour in the sponsor area, providing a space for attendees to connect over light appetizers, drinks, and a little line dancing!

Friday, May 2: Last round of sessions, Closing Luncheon, and a Fireside Chat

The final day of the conference featured morning workshop sessions and concluded with our closing luncheon and fireside chat, led by NCPC Chief Strategy Officer Safiyah Jackson.

This powerful conversation brought together voices from across the early childhood landscape: Olivia Critcher, a parent who shared what it feels like to be on the receiving end of community support and why it matters; Sandy Johnson, a former preschool director, current early childhood specialist that spoke to the history and hopefulness of early childhood care and education; Allison Boyd, whose journey began by navigating systems for her own family, she now serves as a parent leader and advocate; and Stephanie Smith, a community organizer and home child care provider deeply rooted in the everyday work of building trust and connection with families.

The conversation served as a reminder that we all have a role to play, and when we show up fully and work together, we can accomplish what seems impossible.

We are grateful to every attendee that showed up ready to learn and share, to our 150+ presenters for leading over 70 sessions and creating an environment of collaboration and community, and to our sponsors for their commitment to supporting the development of early childhood leaders and change-makers. 

The 2025 Smart Start Conference was brought to you by All About Books | Alliance Health | Branagh Group | Discount School Supply | North Carolina Education Lottery | Community Playthings | Healthy Blue NC | Lakeshore Learning | Collaborative Classroom | UNC Wilmington Department of Education | The Cemala Foundation | The Discovery Source | Gardner Media | The Greensboro Convention & Visitors Bureau | Kaplan Early Learning Company | WELS Foundation | Teaching Strategies | Council for Professional Recognition (CDA Council)

Thank you for reading our recap of the 2025 Smart Start Conference.