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 22-23, 200 adults used the Lending Library resources, 229 teachers/directors from Licensed facilities attended trainings, and 130 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 22-23, 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 22-23, 89 children were served, 29 families served, 189 home visits occurred, and 25 parents participated in parent education groups.

Community Outreach (5517): Expands the knowledge base of Smart Start funded activities in Craven County. Participated in 11 community outreach events; 119 interactions with DSPs; newsletters distributed 4,986 prepared and submitted press releases 33.

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 22-23, 184 children from 11 classrooms at 7 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 22-23, 41,438 books were mailed to an average of 3,439 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.