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Smart Start is...


Smart Start is committed to increasing access and raising the quality of early care and education across the state.


The Network does so by:

  • Creating a strong foundation for high quality early learning environments in each community by addressing individual community needs.

  • Establishing infrastructure support for the delivery and implementation of sustainable evidence-based services across the state. Infrastructure support includes support for programs like:

    • NC Pre-K: Smart Start Local Partnerships administering NC Pre-K in 55 counties and providing an additional $8,265,867 in funding for NC Pre-K classroom support.

    • Child Care Subsidy: Managing subsidy funds across the state to boost quality and promote child care and education access.

    • Workforce Supports: Focused on professional development, education, and compensation like T.E.A.C.H and WAGE$.

  • Leading Smart Start’s Coaching for Technical Assistants Initiative that focuses on working with technical assistance providers and child care programs to implement best practices in physical activity, child nutrition, and outdoor play and learning environments.

    • This project expands coaching and professional supports for Child Care Health Consultants (CCHC) and technical assistants in the Smart Start Network to provide coaching and consultation to child care providers towards implementation of healthy best practices in the early care and education setting.

    • Coaching for Technical Assistants support includes resource creation, the development of a technical assistant resource repository, and the creation of professional development and training opportunities to enhance teacher practice and effectiveness.

  • Supporting the early care and education workforce through the help of statewide programs and innovative solutions.

    • 4,534 low-paid teachers received an education-based salary supplement ensuring continuity of care for children by highly qualified teachers.

    • 501 teachers serving more than 5,000 children participated in Smart Start funded programs that helped them to study early education at the college level.

  • Improving the quality of early learning by offering professional development, technical assistance, and other supports to raise the quality (and/or licensed) star rating of each center.

    • The percentage of children in 4 and 5 star programs increased from 33 percent in 2001 to 71 percent in 2022.

    • In 2021, Local Partnerships supported 607 child care homes and centers serving 18,210 children. In 2022, this number grew to Smart Start supporting 707 child care homes and centers serving 28,270 children.

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