Smart Start of New Hanover County

Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) (3104-014): The CCR&R provides an array of services designed to support the early childhood system in New Hanover County. Staff provide many of the workshops and training required by the State for early educators. These include topics such as ITS-SIDS, Playground Safety, and quality assessment tools. Up to twenty hours of yearly in-service training (depending on current level of education) for full-time childcare staff is a North Carolina requirement. Staff also provide both intensive and light touch technical assistance to childcare sites/classrooms to support quality care and re-licensure requirements. The CCR&R operate the resource room/lending library for early childhood educators and families and participates in community education and referrals through outreach events and with families that call or visit. The Smart Start CCR&R Center is part of a Regional Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) system which provides referral to families for childcare.

Positive Parenting (PP) (5505-015): Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) offers evidence-based principles and advice providing tools that parents need to raise confident, healthy children, and to build stronger family relationships. Parents must be referred from NHC Department of Social Services.

Parents As Teachers (PAT) (5509-011): Evidence-based home visiting program works with high-risk families of very young children for up to 2 years to support healthy child development, positive parenting skills, access to community resources, and peer engagement. Services include regular personal visits, group connections, a variety of screenings, and resource networking.

Programming & Evaluation (PE) (5603-001): Planning activities may include conducting needs and assessments to inform programmatic priorities, developing a strategic plan based on community needs, and researching and selection of evidence-based and evidence-informed activities that best match the strategic plan and Community Early Childhood Profile (EC Profile). Coordination activities include providing technical assistance and oversight to service providers and grantees regarding program management, program implementation, and financial/programmatic monitoring. Evaluation activities may include the development, measurement and reporting of goals, providing technical assistance to service providers and grantees regarding data collection and program management, and the review of program effectiveness related to county level data such as the EC Profile, especially in relation to the goals and objectives in the partnerships strategic plan. Smart Start funds may be used to purchase and pay for refreshments/meals for meetings and events and professional development for staff. The Program, Planning, Coordination, and Evaluation team may participate in programmatic and early childhood outreach and public awareness events.

Reach Out and Read (ROR)(5523-022): This activity will collaborate with medical care practices to provide pre-literacy opportunities for children and their parents. 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.

Community Outreach and Education (COE) (5517-018):The Community Outreach and Education (COE) team will work to build awareness of early childhood development and will strive to strengthen relationships that increase cooperation, resources, and services that support a trauma-informed community. COE will offer access to a variety of support services to families with young children. These include a space for open play with developmentally appropriate materials, learn about child development, receive parenting support, and get information on and referrals to community resources such as enrollment in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. The COE team will also create and disseminate publications (digital and printed), post on social media platforms and the agency's website, and participate in community collaborations, events, workshops, etc. (hosted by SSNHC and/or community partners). The COE activity is responsible for all public relations for the Partnership including the production of items such as news releases to local media, photography of events, website maintenance, and newsletters. Smart Start funds may be used to purchase and pay for the following: marketing materials, community-based contracted trainings that may include non-staff individuals, refreshments/meals for meetings and events, and professional development for staff.

Curriculum & Assessment (C&A) (3322-226): Staff employed with New Hanover County Schools Early Childhood Education Program, the Contract Administrator for NC Pre-Kindergarten (NCPK) and Head Start, will continue the unified system of support, coaching, professional development, and assessment tools used with the NCPK and Head Start classrooms in both public and private settings along with preschool classrooms that are county funded. The Curriculum and Assessment team may: 1) purchase materials and digital resources including: Teaching Strategies GOLD on-line assessment system-access for all classrooms, digital curriculum, Hatch Sync, and Creative Curriculum materials which will be issued through prioritizing by highest need; 2) arrange face-to-face and on-line professional development opportunities; and 3) continue to organize a coaching team to support to all classrooms and provide multiple opportunities for the teaching and administrative staff at public and private sites (participating in Head Start and NC Pre-K) to meet, collaborate, and share. Smart Start funds may be used to pay for meeting expenses. This is a contracted activity

Physical Activity and Nutrition Program (PAN) (3424-999): This program will implement the Farm to Childcare in three sites and increase nutrition awareness of young children and their caregivers.

Ready Parents (5505-227): Staff employed with Communities In Schools of Cape Fear (CIS) will provide services to support young parents (21 years and younger) through the Young Parent Support Program. Young parents will participate in Circle of Parents (COP), a parent support group model, that occur on a weekly basis throughout most of the year. Each COP session will be conducted by trained facilitators (which may include a contracted parent lead to assist) who will implement the program with model fidelity. Home visits, guided by the Partners for a Healthy Baby (PHB) curriculum, will also be available for the participating young parents. Smart Start funds may be used to purchase and pay for the following: incentives and transportation for participants, meeting space costs, child care refreshments/meals for meetings and events, professional development for staff, and materials to be used with participants and their children. This is a contracted activity.

Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) (5526-020) : This a Free program for families where each registered child will receive a book by mail at home each month.

Professional Development Connections (PDC) (3107-008): Professional Development Connections (PDC) will award monetary incentives and scholarships to increase the education and retention levels among early educators in our community. Dedication to Education (DTE) Bonuses may be issued to early educators working in star-rated child care centers, center-in-residences, and family child care homes and will be based on the current level of education already achieved. Higher Education Scholarships may be available to early educators working in star-rated sites encouraging individuals to enroll in coursework geared towards earning an Early Childhood Preschool Certificate, an Infant Toddler Certificate, or an Associate Degree in Early Childhood all which are being offered at accredited community colleges. Tuition for scholarship recipients will be paid directly to the community college at which the educator is enrolled. The cost of a textbook may or may not be included with the scholarship funds. PDC staff may set priority criteria for the bonuses and scholarships issued to individuals that may include rate of pay, level of education, age of children served, position, length of employment, other sources of support. One-time Dedication to Education Bonuses (DTE) may also be issued to 3, 4, or 5 star-rated child care centers based on their current number of Education Points on their license and/or other quality or targeted indicators. Smart Start funds may be used to purchase and pay for the following: marketing materials, contracted trainings, refreshments/meals for meetings/events, and professional development for staff. PDC staff may participate in programmatic and early childhood outreach and public awareness events.

Behavior Inclusion Support Services (BIS) (3417-019): The Behavior and Inclusion (BIS) team will use materials provided by the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL), as well as the Neurosequential Model for Early Childhood, to improve outcomes of young children in child care. Through training and technical assistance, the BIS team hopes to build early educators skills in supporting the healthy development of all children, in utilizing trauma-informed practices, and in preventing the expulsion of referred children. Resource materials may be purchased and loaned to these child care sites to support positive practices. BIS staff will help families, as needed, navigate the early intervention system and/or implement strategies with their own children, complimenting practices used in the classroom. Smart Start funds may be used to purchase and pay for the following: marketing materials, contracted trainings, refreshments/meals for meetings/events, professional development for staff, and materials and incentives to be distributed to training participants. BIS staff may participate in programmatic and early childhood outreach/public awareness events.

CHILD CARE HEALTH CONSULTATION (3414-013): The Child Care Health Consultation model promotes healthy and safe environments for children in child care settings through targeted and comprehensive consultation, group training and general resource sharing. The CCHC follows the North Carolina CCHC Service Model for implementation of the activity by providing the following services to child care facilities, staff and others as needed. 1) Targeted consultation consisting of short technical assistance (onsite, telephone, email) focused on a specific issue or identified need. 2) Comprehensive consultation consisting of long term technical assistance that involves observation, on-going assessment, and the development of a quality improvement plan that may include multiple areas of identified need. 3) Group training and general resource sharing of up-to-date information on regulations and best practices for development, health and safety in areas such as nutrition and physical activity; inclusion of children with special health care needs and developmental disabilities; safe sleep practices and policies; injury prevention; and increased access to primary, preventive health care and health insurance. Documentation is maintained for all consultation and training. This activity is not funded with Smart Start dollars.

Family Support (4204-999)

Literacy Programs (5512-017.432)

Private Grants (9999-999)