Chatham County Partnership for Children
Working together for children and families in Chatham County, North Caroina
The Partnership is seeking input from Chatham County parents of children ages birth to five through an online survey. Click on the links below.
Survey closes May 8, 2019.
We are pleased to publish our annual strategic plan for Smart Start activities in Chatham County.
Smart Start Strategic Plan 2018-2019
Chatham County Partnership for Children, with funding from the annual Reindeer Run 5K, is pleased to offer grants to promote physical activity in Chatham County for children and/or adults. Projects may be located in schools, child care facilities, public areas, parks, churches, community centers, or worksites. Priority will be given innovative projects that promote healthy physical activity for underserved groups.
Schools, child care facilities, churches, businesses, public agencies, and nonprofit agencies that provide or intend to provide physical activity opportunities to children and/or adults
November 14, 2018
December 8, 2018 at the Reindeer Run 5K
A total of $7,000 is available for grants to 2-4 projects
By January 30, 2019
By November 30, 2019 with at least 5 photos
Contact Erin Suwattana, Program Director, at 919-542-7449 ext. 114 or erin@chathamkids.org
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
4th 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 4th 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 3rd , 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!
We are excited to announce FOUR awards that will be given to Chatham County child care professionals at the Child Care Professional Appreciation Banquet on November 17, 2017.
We need your help in nominating child care professionals! You may submit as many nominations as you like, and nominations can be made by anyone.
Voting will take place at the Appreciation Banquet on November 17. Nominations will be posted (without names), and the banquet guests will vote during the opening session.
Please submit your nominations by Friday, November 3 at 5:00 pm in any of the following ways:
We look forward to reading about the dedicated and talented child care professionals in Chatham County!
Partnership for Children will grant $4K to local projects
Chatham County Partnership for Children, with funding from the annual Reindeer Run 5K, is pleased to offer grants to promote physical activity in Chatham County. Projects may be located in schools, child care facilities, public areas, parks, churches or worksites. A total of $4,000 is available for grants to one or more projects. Priority will be given to small scale projects that are innovative and promote healthy physical activity for underserved groups. Second priority will be given to proposals that increase access to physical activity by being located in a geographically remote location. Eligible applicants include schools, child care facilities, churches, businesses, public agencies, and nonprofit agencies. Examples of projects that received grants from Reindeer Run proceeds in the past include: purchase of physical activity equipment for Chatham Child Development Center, rebuilding of trail bridges at Town Lake Park, expansion of public trails through Triangle Land Conservancy, paving of a walking loop at the Mary Hayes Barber Holmes Park Greenway, and support of the development of the Robeson Creek Greenway. Applications are available at www.chathamkids.org and are due November 8. Questions can be directed to Erin Suwattana 919-542-7449 ext. 114 or reindeerrun@chathamkids.org.
Physical Activity Grant Application Form (fillable PDF form)
Physical Activity Grant Announcement 2017
More on this year’s Reindeer Run
Mark Hall, Caroline Butler and Representative Robert Reives share their thoughts on why the Partnership for Children’s work is important.
Great news! Both our Main Office and our Deegan Drive office have relocated to a new combined facility.
August 31, 2017
3:30 – 7:30 pm
PO Box 637
Pittsboro, NC 27312
220 Chatham Business Drive
Pittsboro, NC 27312
To visit our new office, turn by the Pittsboro Post Office onto Chatham Business Drive, pass the Laurels of Chatham, and our office is at the end of the road.
How to find us – a video tour!
Our phone and fax will be the same as our Main Office always has been:
Phone: 919-542-7449
Fax: 919-542-0238
Chatham County Partnership for Children, with funding from Women of Fearrington, Inc., is offering two scholarships to the Annual Conference of the NC Association for the Education of Young Children.
| Conference Info | NCaeyc’s 64th Annual Conference REFLECTING QUALITY: Diversity, Inclusion, & Equity in Early Childhood Education http://ncaeyc.org/conference/ |
| Conference Dates | September 15 & 16, 2017 (Friday & Saturday) |
| Conference Location | Raleigh Convention Center |
| Scholarship Amount | Two-day registration fee of $201, plus a $150 stipend upon completion of the 2-day training |
| Eligible Applicants | Family Child Care Home Operators and Child Care Center Teachers of children ages 0-5 in licensed Chatham County child care facilities |
| Application Due Date | July 14, 2017 |
The Partnership for Children is looking for dedicated teachers who are interested in expanding their knowledge by attending the annual conference. Our goal is that teachers attending the conference will leave equipped and rejuvenated to provide high-quality early childhood education. Two qualified applicants will be chosen by random drawing. Recipients of the scholarship will receive a paid registration to the two-day annual conference of the NC Association for the Education of Young Children in Raleigh in September 2017, plus a $150 stipend upon return from the conference for expenses incurred. Attending all Friday and Saturday sessions will earn 10 DCDEE Contact Hour Credits, and the conference registration fee will include a one-year membership to NCaeyc.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a national organization that promotes high quality learning for young children ages birth through 8 years old with the mission “that all young children thrive and learn in a society dedicated to ensuring they reach their full potential.” North Carolina has its own state-level chapter of NAEYC, called NCaeyc, which hosts this conference annually for Early Childhood Professionals.
To apply for the scholarship, complete the Application for NCaeyc scholarship and submit it with essay questions and letters of recommendation by July 14, 2017 to erin@chathamkids.org or Erin Suwattana, PO Box 637, Pittsboro, NC 27312. Please note the Partnership for Children’s new mailing address.
The Chatham County Partnership for Children is actively seeking interested volunteers to serve on the Board of Directors (3-year term) and its Committees, especially the Program Planning and Evaluation Committee. Volunteers play an important role by providing advice and support to the oversight of our program and the public dollars we administer. The Partnership is a non-profit organization that plans, funds, and implements quality early childhood education, health, and family support initiatives for children from birth to eight. The Partnership is home to Child Care Resource and Referral Services (formerly Child Care Networks); Smart Start and NC PreK for Chatham County and the Child Care and Adult Food Program.
The Board is made up of about 21 members representing parents, community and business representatives, child care teachers, and human service providers. The Board meets six to eight times per year. Committees vary in size and membership according to their function and purpose. Committees meet between 6 and 12 times per year.
To volunteer please contact Genevieve Megginson, Executive Director, at genevieve@chathamkids.org, or call 919-542-7449 ext. 24.
