Long-Range Goal
To ensure that all children enter school healthy and prepared to succeed. To achieve this goal 77 Partnerships encompassing all 100 counties have focused both their attention and their funds on 3 major areas of services implementation:

• Child care and education
• Family support programs
• Health services

Progress in these areas is tied to the longer-range goal of increased readiness for school.

Collaboration and Local Control

• Are the basic principles of Smart Start
• Each local Board is comprised of community leaders, child care providers, parents, teachers, human service professionals, religious leaders and business people
• Each Board plans and funds programs that best meet their community needs

State allocations for Smart Start have increased from $20 million in 1993-94 to $210 million in 2008-09. Smart Start has raised an additional 10% from cash or in-kind contributions each year.

More information about Smart Start is available at the North Carolina Partnership web site.