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Investing in Lincoln and Gaston Counties’ Youngest Citizens and

Future Employees

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The Partnership for Children of Lincoln and Gaston Counties is…

Your local Smart Start Initiative

The lead agency for More at Four in Lincoln County

The Child Care Resource and Referral Agency (CCR&R) for families in Lincoln and Gaston Co.’s

The technical assistance and training agency for improving child care in Lincoln and Gaston Co.’s

Your resource for information about young children and families in the counties you represent.

3

PFCLG is Your Local Smart Start

Initiative. What is Smart Start? North Carolina's nationally recognized and

award-winning early childhood initiative.

Smart Start is a public-private initiative that provides early care and education funding to all of NC’s 100 counties.

Smart Start funds are used to improve the quality of child care, make child care more affordable and accessible, provide access to health services and offer family support.

Smart Start funds are administered by local nonprofit organizations called Local Partnerships.

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What does the Partnership for Children and Smart Start do for Lincoln and Gaston Counties?

We are the local system that brings together all the people involved in a young child’s life - families, teachers, doctors, caregivers, social workers, and many others - to ensure every child has what they need for healthy growth and development.

The Partnership for Children is the convener.

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How is PFCLG Funded?

North Carolina General Assembly

Division of Child Development (DCD)

North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC)

Partnership for Children of Lincoln

and Gaston Counties

Local, State and Federal Grants

In-House

Activities

Direct Service

Providers

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The Science Behind Our Investment

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Putting the Investment in Perspective

85% of a child’s brain development occurs in the first five years of life.

“If a child enters the child care setting at six weeks of age and continues

through age five, he/she will spend more time in those five years of child care than they ever spend in school

during the next 12 years.”- Judsen Culbreth

Editor-in-Chief Scholastic Parent Publishing

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The Return of Investing in Young Children

Investing in early

childhood learning

generates a lifetime

of returns as it

provides both the

traction and

foundation for

future learning and

the acquistion of

skills.

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The Return of Investing in Young Children

The earliest years of childhood are critical. Experiences during this time literally shape the structure of the brain.

“All aspects of adult human capital, from work force skills to cooperative and lawful behavior, build on capacities that are developed during childhood, beginning at birth.” - Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University and the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2007)

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Why Smart Start in North Carolina? Business owners, employees, and job seekers rely

on Smart Start for high quality, reliable child care. The average working parent misses five to nine days of work

per year because of child care problems, costing U.S. businesses $3 billion a year in lost productivity.

Smart Start is an incredibly effective and efficient public/private partnership. Ninety-two cents of every dollar goes directly to ensuring

that children and families have the experiences they need to thrive.

Our future workforce are today’s babies. Building a strong and productive labor force depends largely on how we invest in children today. U.S. Chamber of Commerce Report: “Early childhood

education has a tremendous impact on the national security and the viability of the American dream.”

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Cost of Child Care for North Carolina’s Labor Force

If a child enters child care in North Carolina at 6 weeks of age and stays until he enters kindergarten, the parent will pay the equivalent of tuition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill…..

TWICE

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Results of Investment in Early Care and Education

Number of Child Care Centers by Stars2001 - 2009

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

1Star2Star3Star4Star5Star

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How does PFCLG invest it’s Smart Start Funds?

Healthy Child Care Health

Consultant – Gaston

Child Care Health Consultant – Lincoln

Early Intervention Services

Family Support Adolescent Parenting

Program

Family Resource Center

VIP – Parenting Program

Ready Individual Professional

Development Program

Parent Resource and Referral

Quality Enhancement

Quality Sustainability

WAGE$

Subsidy – Lincoln and Gaston

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Responding to Trends to Improve the lives of Children

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

1971-1974 1988-1994 1999-2000 2003-2004

Total Boys Girls

Currently, 26% of US 2-5 year old children are classified as either overweight or obese. This is astounding knowing the possible health risks facing them, not only as they become adults, but also as children.

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Who Provides Your Smart Start Programs?

Partnership for Children of Lincoln and Gaston Counties

Gaston County Department of Social Services

Lincoln County Department of Social Services

Gaston County Health Department

Lincoln County Health Department

Community Health Partners

Communities in Schools – Lincoln

NC Cooperative Extension - Gaston

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PFCLG Priorities and Results - FY 2009 – 2010

1. Help families find quality child care. Provided assistance to find quality licensed

child care to 655 families.

2. Help child care facilities achieve and maintain higher standards of care.

Technical Assistance targeting health, nutrition, sanitation and safety was provided to 86 child care facilities.

3. Support the education of child care providers. 155 Child care providers in 71 child care

facilities earned professional development supplements from PFCLG for earning college credit towards a degree in early childhood education.

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PFCLG Priorities and Results - FY 2009 – 2010

4. Help parents improve their parenting skills

Provided parenting classes ranging from one-time workshops to intensive court-ordered parenting classes to 198 families.

5. Helped improve awareness and enrollment in health services.

Training on the use of screening tools to identify children with special needs at the earliest age possible was provided to staff of 36 medical practices.

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Thank you for investing in the future of

North Carolina.