What is Smart Start?

A comprehensive, community-based initiative serving North Carolina's children under 6 and their families. Governor James B. Hunt and the NC Legislature established Smart Start in 1993.

Long-Range Goal

To ensure that all children enter school healthy and prepared to succeed. To achieve this goal 81 Partnerships encompassing all 100 counties have focused both their attention and their funds on 3 major areas of services implementation:

• Child care and education
• Family support programs
• Health services

Progress in these areas is tied to the longer-range goal of increased readiness for school.

Collaboration and Local Control

• Are the basic principles of Smart Start
• Each local Board is comprised of community leaders, child care providers, parents, teachers, human service professionals, religious leaders and business people
• Each Board plans and funds programs that best meet their community needs

State allocations for Smart Start have increased from $20 million in 1993-94 to $192 million in 2003-04. Smart Start has raised an additional 10% from cash or in-kind contributions each year.

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More information about Smart Start is available at the North Carolina Partnership web site.