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;...

The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) was honored to receive a $10,000 grand prize from Aeroflow Breastpumps as part of their Pumping Room Makeover Contest. This generous award enabled NCPC to remodel its lactation room, providing enhanced equipment...

Select Smart Start Communities are Continuing DPIL Enrollment, but More Funding is Needed – Since 2017, Smart Start and the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) have partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) to provide free, high-quality...

Early care and education form the cornerstone of a child’s lifelong success, shaping their learning, health, and well-being. Yet, the increasing challenges in finding affordable, high-quality child care are impacting families across North Carolina. Smart Start is committed to...

The Healthy & Resilient Communities Initiative (HRCI) at the NC Partnership for Children (NCPC) has made significant strides over the past three years. Supported by the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, HRCI leverages Smart Start’s deep connections across North...

Lending libraries are invaluable community resources, offering families and educators access to high-quality educational tools and materials that might otherwise be out of reach. Smart Start of Pender County has long championed early learning, and its Executive Director, Connie...

Moving to a new community with young children is challenging, especially without a network of family or friends. When Maribel Strachan moved to Person County, North Carolina, in 2012, she quickly realized the need for structured activities and support...

By Amy Stephens Cubbage, MS, JD Imagine a North Carolina in which every child has the resources and support to thrive and enter kindergarten ready to succeed—this is the vision that has driven the Smart Start Network for over thirty...

NC Tri-Share Serves its First Family, Increasing Access to High-Quality, Affordable Child Care   The NC Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Program began beta–testing and registering families in July. NC Tri-Share is a program that creates a public/private partnership to share the...

The NC Partnership for Children (NCPC) Celebrates Smart Start Month – Governor Roy Cooper proclaims September Smart Start Month. This proclamation acknowledges the Smart Start Network's commitment for over thirty years to ensuring all North Carolina’s young children...