Each Child. Every Community.

Smart Start is dedicated to fostering the well-being of families across North Carolina by providing comprehensive resources and support that promote the whole health of children, from maternal care through early childhood development. Through these efforts, the Smart Start Network addresses the social drivers of health—such as education and access to nutritious food—that significantly impact family well-being. 

A key focus of Smart Start is ensuring that children and families have the support they need to maintain healthy behaviors. This includes access to wellness programs, nutrition education, and encouraging physical activity, both in child care settings and at home. Additionally, Smart Start also supports early screening and intervention for children and identifies developmental delays.  

Supporting Maternal and Postpartum Health 

Smart Start also prioritizes maternal, perinatal, and postpartum health by equipping families with tools and resources to foster healthy pregnancies, childbirth, and recovery. The network’s commitment to supporting mental health and lactation services extends to both children and birthing parents, addressing the needs of caregivers and early educators who play a crucial role in children’s lives. 

Local Partnerships Making a Difference: 

• The Carteret Partnership for Children delivers home-based family therapy and case management for children facing various risk factors, promoting long-term support systems. Recently, a family with six risk factors joined the program. With the Partnership’s assistance, the mother was able to maintain stable employment, housing, and child care, while also committing to breaking a family cycle of abuse and neglect. As a result of the program, the family’s identified risk factors have been reduced to two, highlighting the transformative impact of the support provided. 

• Smart Start Rowan provided comprehensive support to a 4-year-old from Honduras who was dealing with severe anxiety after a traumatic journey, offering services ranging from Pre-K to counseling and dental care. Now this child can attend pre-K without dental pain and receiving the mental health care needed to be able to work through their traumatic experiences. 

• Sampson County Partnership for Children’s Baby LINKS program recently supported a Spanish-speaking mother with breastfeeding challenges, and immediately referred her to a pediatrician for urgent care after identifying signs of jaundice in her baby. 

• Cabarrus Partnership for Children helped a young child receive critical dental care without sedation, ensuring comfort and safety for both the child and their mother. 

• Wayne County Partnership for Children ensured that a newborn’s car seat was properly installed, offering hands-on training for the parents to ensure their child’s safety. 

You can read more about these efforts within Smart Start’s 2023-2024  Annual Report (pages 23-26).  

Addressing Health Disparities 

Smart Start acknowledges the significant health disparities faced by Black and Brown mothers, particularly the stark infant and maternal mortality rates in North Carolina, which rank 8th highest in the country.  

By focusing on perinatal health support, such as breastfeeding assistance and healthcare services through local health departments, Smart Start is striving to provide equitable health outcomes for all families, regardless of their background. You can read more about Smart Start’s commitment with our Position Statement on Newborn and Family Home Visiting Programs.  

Supporting Educators’ Mental Health 

Recognizing that early childhood educators face unique stressors that can impact classroom dynamics and child development, Smart Start is introducing programs like the Infant Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) coaching. This initiative aims to help educators understand young children’s social-emotional development and how their own mental health can affect classroom interactions.  

Smart Start’s Health Commitment 

Smart Start’s vision for child and family health extends across all aspects of life—from prenatal care to early intervention of developmental delays, and from child care health consulting to mental health support. With a strong focus on addressing the health disparities in North Carolina and supporting families during crucial periods like pregnancy and postpartum, Smart Start is intensifying its efforts to improve health outcomes statewide. 

In FY 2024-2025, Smart Start will introduce 16 new health programs and services, ensuring every county has the right support to meet the unique needs of its families. 

Smart Start is committed to building a healthier future for all children in North Carolina, ensuring that every family has the resources, care, and support needed to thrive. 

Read more about Smart Start’s Impact here.