Smart Start

Improving child care is an important part of the Smart Start mission. In Chatham County, 75% of parents of young children work full time outside the home. The Chatham County Partnership for Children works to improve the quality of child care;  to make child care more available; and to make child care more affordable.

Improving the QUALITY of Child Care

To improve the quality of our child care facilities, we:

• help child care programs enhance the quality of their work
• help teachers learn more about teaching young children
• help child care facilities become safer and better equipped for learning
• help reduce turnover of child care teachers to provide stability for our children.

Making Child Care AVAILABLE – Child Care Resource and Referral

We know we do not have enough child care facilities for all the families who need it and are working to make more available.

Making Child Care AFFORDABLE

For many families, the greatest obstacle to getting quality child care is money. Child care can cost as much as $1500 a month. At least 30% of our county’s Smart Start allocation goes to subsidizing child care for families that need it.

Based on a family’s income, this cost can be 30% or more of their gross family income. Our goal is to help working families so that they do not have to pay more than 10% of their income for child care. This way they will have enough of their income to buy food and medicine and cover other living expenses.

Quality Subsidy Family Services – Chatham County Department of Social Services – Jennifer Yancey 919-542-2759
Provides child care subsidies for families who qualify on the basis of income and need. Family counselors assist families with finding and choosing child care.

Ensuring Access to Health Services

Assuring Better Child Health and Development – Families and Communities Rising, Inc. This project seeks to ensure developmental screenings and referrals are properly performed by all child health care providers. On-site training and technical assistance is provided to medical practice sites to facilitate the identification of children who may benefit from early intervention services.

Helping Fathers be their Best

Focus on Fathers – Chatham County Public Health Department. This program gives fathers the opportunity to increase their knowledge of parenting, child development, and children’s health issues, while assisting fathers in attaining their employment and educational goals. Program participants take part in discussion groups, workshops, home visits and regularly scheduled family outings.

Engaging Families in Early Literacy

Raising a Reader – This program helps families who have children in child care learn how to better support early literacy in their family. Raising a Reader provides children with a new bag of books to take home and read with their families each week. Materials are provided to parents on how to support their child’s reading and child care educators are given training on supporting early literacy in the classroom.

Supporting Early Childhood Educators

Child Care Resource and Referral– Child Care Resource and Referral works to assist families, child care professionals, businesses, and communities in Chatham County with essential child care services and support. This program provides child care guidance for families through our Child Care Search program and support for child care educators and administrators. The Chatham County Partnership for Children is a regional leader and provides services to our five-county region: Chatham, Hartnett, Lee, Johnston, and Wayne Counties.

Outreach for Emotional Difficulties

Child Care Behavior Consultation – Families and Communities Rising, Inc. This program provides screening for children identified as having behavioral and social emotional problems in child care settings. Strategies are developed with parents and child care providers to improve the child’s success in the classroom. On-site consultation and instruction is provided to teachers to enhance their skills about responding to challenging behaviors.

Ensuring Access to Health Services

Child Care Health Consultant–Chatham County Public Health Department.  The Child Care Health Consultation Program (CCHC) has been bringing health education to Chatham County’s child care facilities since 1995. The CCHC is staffed by a public health educator who helps child care providers develop and improve health, safety, and nutrition practices. A major goal for the Partnership is for each family to have an identified health provider, the CCHC helps connect children with a doctor and with other health resources when needed.