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Be on the lookout in Chatham County for our Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library ad on a Chatham Transit bus!

All children under the age of 5 are eligible to register. Participating children receive a free high quality book in the mail each month. Register your child today and “inspire a love of reading!” www.chathamkids.org/books

Duke Students Run 95 Miles to Benefit Children

4^th annual Jordan Lake 12-Hour Challenge 

Chapel Hill, N.C. — Three students from Duke University teamed up Saturday, April 14, at Jordan Lake Educational State Forest along with 64 other runners to participate in the 4^th annual Jordan Lake 12-Hour Challenge. The three students, Andrew Adelhardt, Harry Elworthy, and Sam McDermott, ran as a relay team and finished with 95.63 miles, a course record. Individuals and teams competed for highest total miles completed on the 1.35-mile loop course with views of the lake.

Jennifer McLaurin of Pittsboro was presented the award for the Chatham County resident with greatest distance covered, with 30.98 miles. Additional course records were set by the overall winners in the individual 12-hour competition: Shannon Johnstone of Cary at 61.95 miles and Mark Rostan of Valdese, NC, at 67.34 miles. In the 6-hour race, winners were Layna Mosley of Chapel Hill with 37.71 miles and Ryan Triffitt of Topsham, ME, with 36.36 miles. Seven runners in the individual 12-hour competition completed 50 miles or more. All proceeds from the event support Chatham County Partnership for Children, a private non-profit which was formed in 1994 to improve early childhood education. Full race results are available at: chathamkids.org/12-hour.

Harry Elworthy of the winning team / Credit: Dan Paige

Pittsboro resident Jennifer McLaurin who completed 31 miles / Credit: Dan Paige

Overall winner Mark Rostan who completed 67 miles / Credit: Shannon Johnstone

More than 350 enjoy reading and arts activities

Siler City, N.C. — Sunny weather, free books, and fun activities combined to create lots of smiling faces on Saturday, April 28, at the annual Day of the Books festival at Virginia Cross Elementary School. More than 350 people attended including at least 200 children. All children received a brand new bilingual English-Spanish book when they arrived and then chose an additional 2 to 3 books at the “free book table.” Altogether, about 800 books were distributed to children. Eleven nonprofit and governmental agencies came to support the event and share information about their services with families.

Highlights for the children included bilingual storytime under the circus tent, led by staff of the Chatham Community Library, and the customary breaking of the piñata as the finale.

“El Día de los Libros,” as it is also known, is a bilingual children’s festival that promotes literacy and education and provides arts experiences for children. It is part of the global celebration of the Latin American holiday “El Día de los Niños.”

Chatham County Partnership for Children organized the event with the help of many agency partners, including Central Carolina Community College, Chatham County Public Libraries, Vida de Esperanza Clinic, Chatham Literacy, Chatham Reads and Chatham County.

This event was supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, through Chatham Arts. Chatham County Schools provided the complimentary lunch, while the Friends of the Chatham Community Library donated funds for the bilingual books.

Katy Henderson and Luis Melodelgado of Chatham Community Library lead bilingual storytime
Credit: Celeste Helewski

Magetsi 4-H Club of Sanford performed traditional Latin American dances
Credit: Celeste Helewski

Face painters stayed busy all day
Credit: Celeste Helewski

Check out the Live and Silent Auction items below to see if there is something you’d like!

Live & Silent Auction BJB 2018 (PDF)

Media Release

Pittsboro, NC – January 6, 2018 – Chatham County Partnership for Children will host Blue Jeans and Bling Benefit for Children, on Saturday, March 3^rd , from 5:30-9:30 pm at The Barn at Woodlake Meadows, 3809 McLaurin Rd, Bear Creek, NC 27207. (http://woodlakemeadows.com)

This year’s benefit auction ticket price is $40.00 and will include a fabulous evening of dinner, drinks, silent and live auctions, exciting games and surprises, and memorable fun! Attire will be more bling than jeans with everything in between!

The Chatham County Partnership Staff and Board of Directors, including parents, teachers, childcare providers, and community members are dedicated to helping our county’s young children to grow up strong, healthy, and safe, and to be able succeed in school.

We are very proud to announce that our Honorary Chairperson this year is Sheriff Mike Robeson. Sheriff Robeson grew up in Chatham County in a place called “Farrington” which was just through the woods of Mr. Jessie Fearrington’s farm. This was before they changed the spelling to Fearrington Village! He attended public school in Chatham County from primary school through high school and had many mentors, including coaches, youth pastors, and family members.

Sheriff Robeson commented on the challenges that early childhood educators face in Chatham County, expressing that the job of an educator is very difficult and lacks recognition and upward mobility. “So, it has to be a job of selfless service for others, and the pay will NEVER match the value,” he noted.

When asked what advice he would give to parents, family, or friends who are helping to raise a child, Sheriff Robeson said, “Love them as the are! Put a “10” on every child’s head, but love them when they are not, too! Find the child’s passion (not your passion for the child). They are all different! Celebrate successes but learn from failures. Failure is a necessary ingredient for success!”

Among the factors that brought Sheriff Robeson to where he is today is, “Having an attitude of Selfless Service. ‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.’ (Gandhi).”

For tickets and information, call 919-542-7449, or visit our website: chathamkids.org/benefit. Hope to see you there!

Download the report in PDF format: Child Care in Chatham County 2017