Program areas at RAPC
North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten Program (NC Pre-K) provides high-quality educational experiences to enhance school readiness for over 600 eligible four year old children in 47 classrooms in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties as well as the Qualla Boundary (Region A). Risk factors and eligibility are determined by the State of North Carolina. NC Pre-K provides licensed teachers and standardized curriculum in the classroom over a ten month program preparing children for kindergarten. NC Pre-K quality and capacity building funds are used to provide professional development to Pre-K teachers and classroom materials for high quality instruction.
Literacy Services. Regional literacy services that fall out of the parameters of Smart Start. For this reporting period, these services included 4 Sesame Street in Communities events with nearly 1,000 attendees. Funds were also used to provide over 120 visits to pediatric medical practices in which literacy resource materials were distributed based upon needs identified by the practice. Literacy spaces in physician office waiting rooms were also provided to 5 practices. Over 2,800 family literacy tool kits were distributes across the region to NC Pre-K classrooms, public libraries, the region's Children's Developmental Services Agency offices and Child Care Centers.
Smart Start Programming. A North Carolina state-wide early childhood and education initiative provides the following family-centered programming. Parents As Teachers (PAT) Parent Educators who provide home visits, group connections, and child development assessments to 88 families in Region A. Child Care Health Consultants (CCHCs) provide technical assistance and training to 24 childcare facilities in Region A. Smart Start dollars were used to support the region's Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program with a monthly distribution of books to over 3,700 children in Region A. Smart Start funds also provide support to Region A's North Carolina childcare subsidy program, Family Support Network, overall project management and program evaluation.
Trauma Informed Training for Child Care Professionals. A pilot program completed in collaboration with the Region A Partnership for Children, regional university education professionals, and school districts with NC Pre-K programs to train early education teachers on challenging social/emotional and behavioral challenges in childcare programs. The program uses a mentorship training/coaching model and focuses on children exposed to childhood trauma.
Family Support Services. Additional program support for Parents as Teachers group connections and to nearly 200 families through the Family Support Network of Region A.