By Kayla Henson
Columbus County Partnership for Children
Governor Roy Cooper proclaims September as Smart Start Month. This proclamation acknowledges the Smart Start Network’s commitment for over 30 years to ensuring all North Carolina’s young children enter school healthy and prepared for success. Columbus County Partnership for Children (CCPC) is a proud member of the Smart Start Network.
Investments in high-quality early childhood initiatives like Smart Start can yield substantial long-term benefits for children, families, and society through increased educational attainment, higher earnings, reduced crime, and better health outcomes.
Smart Start is a Network of 75 local nonprofit partnerships serving all 100 North Carolina counties to create better outcomes for children birth-to-five. The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) guides and facilitates the Smart Start Network, supporting the work of Local Partnerships and connecting them to the statewide early childhood system. Smart Start Local Partnerships work to 1) increase access to and enhance quality of early care and education; 2) collaborate with families to reach their goals through family support and education, engagement, and referrals; and 3) improve child health and development for children birth-to-five.
The Partnership will recognize Smart Start Month through social media and it’s 4th Annual Champions for Children Golf Tournament, which will be Sept. 27 at Vineland Golf Course.
Smart Start Local Partnerships have the flexibility and the data to determine how to improve the health, well-being, and development of children in each community based on local needs and resources. In Columbus County, CCPC provides needed services and supports for the community including literacy programs such as Dolly Parton Imagination Library and Raising A Reader; childcare support programs such as Quality Enhancement, WAGE$ and the Early Learning and Family Resource Center; and resiliency programs such as Resilient Families and Communities.
The first five years of life are a critical window of development, shaping a child’s brain architecture and building the foundation for future cognitive, social, emotional, behavioral, and health outcomes. Through Smart Start’s comprehensive approach, our state’s youngest and those that care for them can receive the support they need to thrive.
“We are excited to celebrate Smart Start Month!” said Selena Rowell, executive director of CCPC. “This is the first time that the Governor has signed this proclamation. Smart Start supports the families of Columbus County as they prepare their children for kindergarten and future success, which are dependent upon a solid foundation for learning during the early years of a child’s life and development. The investments we’re making in children’s early years will yield dividends later in life.”
Smart Start helps to provide critical infrastructure for North Carolina’s early childhood system through collaboration and partnerships with state and federal agencies and other nonprofits, bridging service gaps and providing needed administration to statewide programs. This includes the administration of state, federal, local, and private programs and services such as NC Pre-K, child care subsidy, Head Start, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and more, serving as North Carolina’s infrastructure for promoting childhood development, learning, and health.
“We are honored that the State of North Carolina is recognizing Smart Start in September,” said Amy Cubbage, President of the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC), the nonprofit leading the Smart Start Network. “This recognition underscores the vital importance of investing in a comprehensive approach to supporting our youngest children and their families that is both statewide and locally designed. By working together with families, educators, and communities, we can build a brighter future for our children and our state.”
Smart Start fosters collaboration among local partners, engages community stakeholders, and advocates for policies that support early childhood learning, health and family engagement. This comprehensive approach ensures that children and families receive the support they need from a network of community resources.
Investments in high-quality early childhood initiatives like Smart Start can yield substantial long-term benefits for children, families, and society through increased educational attainment, higher earnings, reduced crime, and better health outcomes.
“Smart Start is a proven example of a public-private partnership and the impact that sound investments, leveraging public and private dollars, can have on the development of our state’s youngest,” continued Cubbage.
For additional information about Columbus County Partnership for Children, call 910-642-8226. Visit the office at 109 W. Main St. in Whiteville or online at www.columbussmartstart.com. “Like” ColumbusSmartStart on Facebook.
