Craven Smart Start

Childcare Resource and Referral (CCR&R 3104): Assists families in finding high quality childcare in Craven County. Offers Lending library open to the public. For FY 21-22, 705 (average) children served by CCR&R's Technical Assistance, 224 teachers/directors attended trainings, and 144 referrals were made to parents looking for childcare.

NC Pre-Kindergarten (2342): Financial assistance paid on a direct per child basis for the purpose of enhancing the NC Pre-K rate for children enrolled in and being served through NC Pre-K and whose families are eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). For FY 21-22, 112 children were impacted in 14 classrooms at eight sites.

CCR&R Regional Lead Agency (7104): Program is to coordinate and integrate CCR&R services delivery systems across the region. This is accomplished by providing effective technical assistance (Infant/Toddler Specialist, School Age Specialist and Behavioral Specialist) to child care providers and consumer-appropriate resource information to parents and the community resulting ultimately in the production of higher quality child care options.

Family Literacy (3318): Provides high quality early childhood education to children 6 weeks to five years of age while parents attend parenting classes, study to obtain their GED, and/or to learn English as a second language. For FY 21-22, 93 children were served, 36 families served, 379 home visits occurred, and 18 parents participated in parent education groups.

Community Outreach (5517): Expands the knowledge base of Smart Start funded activities in Craven County. Participated in 10 community outreach events; 119 interactions with DSPs; newsletters distributed 4,174; prepared and submitted press releases 25

Program Evaluation (5603): Ensures coordination and collaboration between Smart Start service providers. Monitors each funded program and works with partnership fiscal coordinator to link programmatic and fiscal accountability.

Raising A Reader (5512): The Raising A Reader program promotes improved literacy development through daily book sharing between caregivers and young children. Childcare centers, child care homes, or other community sites with a high percentage of low-income children will be targeted and will loan identified families a book bag containing high quality, developmentally appropriate children's books. For FY 21-22, 122 children from 10 classrooms at 5 facilities participated.

Dolly Patron's Imagination Library (5526): The Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (DPIL) promotes literacy skills through a partnership with the Dollywood Foundation. Children can receive the books regardless of the family income. Craven Smart Start became an affiliate for the DPIL in February of 2017. For FY 21-22, 39,674 books were mailed to an average of 3,306 children enrolled in DPIL. Each child enrolled receives an age-appropriate book monthly in their mailbox until their fifth birthday.

Reach Out and Read (5523): Craven Smart Start began to collaborate with two Craven County Health Departments to provide pre-literacy opportunities for children and their parents in January of 2018. The participating trained medical care providers will voluntarily incorporate Reach Out and Read (ROR), an evidence-based model, into young children's regular pediatric checkups or well-child visits. The medical care providers will implement ROR in their practices according to the National ROR guidelines. During each of the routine visits, children will receive a new, culturally- and developmentally appropriate book to take home and read with their parents. The medical care providers will discuss the importance of reading, model reading a book aloud to the child, and encourage parent-child interactions as part of pre-literacy and language development. The program begins at the child's 6-month checkup and continues through age 5, with a special emphasis on children growing up in low-income communities. Medical practices will participate in the parent survey period and submit parent surveys to ROR Carolinas. For FY 21-22, 1,207 children have received age-appropriate books from their medical professional (to take home).