SMART START ACTIVITIES
Child Care Health Consultant - target licensed child care facilities addressing health needs in child care settings, i.e., health and safety policies, record reviews, trainings, etc.
Child Care Resource & Referral – provides technical assistance including environment rating scales assessments, room arrangement, center-specific trainings for teachers. Free use of a lending library of learning equipment, materials, and resource available for the entire community.
Child Care Star Enhancement – provides incentives which allows 4 & 5 star facilities to improve the quality and maintain their 4 or 5 star rating.
Child Care Subsidy – provides funding assistance to help defray the cost of child care for low-income families.
Child Care Subsidy Administration – provides funds for administrative staffing for child care subsidy.
Community Awareness – provides strategies to improve community systems by building awareness of early childhood.
Dolly Parton Imagination Library – encourages early literacy by providing age-appropriate new books to children ages birth to 5 via US postal (mail). Visit Dolly Parton Imagination Library
NCPre-K – financial assistance paid on a direct per child basis for the purchase of care for TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and CCDF (Child Care Development Fund) eligible families.
Circle of Parents Activity: This program is designed to provide parents the opportunity to connect with and learn from each other. Preventing child abuse and neglect while strengthening families is the ultimate goal of the program.
WAGE$: provides education-based salary supplements to low-paid teachers, directors and family child care educators working with children ages birth to five years old. The program is designed to increase retention, education and compensation.
Reach Out and Read – provides early-literacy opportunities (new, age appropriate books) for children and their parents by partnering with medical providers.
Sandhills Children’s Center – provides NC Pre-K Expansion funds for TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and CCDF (Child Care Development Fund) eligible families.