Each Child. Every Community.

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 and education programs, their parents have increased access to...

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 Start is working across the state to create a...

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 care homes provided options for parents and essential workers...

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 are still struggling, experiencing financial challenges and difficulty with...

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...

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 a PDF here. It’s time to talk about the workforce...

“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 Affairs for NC Rural Center, during the conference’s first Featured...

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 new activities planned for North Carolina. The funded activities...

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 capacity for early intelligence and the potential for quality early care and education to...

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 first publicly funded preschool program, was created in 1965...