ROCKINGHAM — The North Carolina Partnership for Children and the Smart Start Network developed Smart Solutions: Effective Prenatal-to-Five Investments, a virtual catalog of over 70 evidence-based and evidence-informed programs, interventions, and strategies that can support children and families statewide.
Smart Start is a network of 75 Local Partnerships that supports children and families in every county in North Carolina. Each Local Partnerships uses state funds allocated to the Network, as well as private funds to support children and families.
Richmond County Partnership for Children utilizes the strategies within Smart Solutions to support 3,207 children birth to age five in Richmond County. Circle of Parents uses a mutual support group model. Meetings are co-led by group members and trained professionals. Diaper Bank of NC -Network that partners with community agencies and programs to address families’ need for basic materials (such as diapers and baby wipes) to promote their child’s healthy development and hygiene. Triple P Level 2 – Selected Seminar Series – Introduction to the positive parenting practices and Triple P through a series of seminars for parents who have one or two concerns with their child’s behavior or development.
Smart Solutions includes a comprehensive array of support for children, families, and teachers that focus on early care and education, family support, literacy, child and family health, and system building.
“Over 100 solutions were reviewed by our evaluation staff to ensure that evidence-based or evidence-informed programs, strategies, and solutions are shared with Partnerships,” stated Casey Strange, Learning & Evaluation director at NCPC. “Selected solutions either have research and evidence showing their effectiveness in supporting children and families or are trusted solutions that have been endorsed by North Carolina state agencies.”
Local Partnerships use Smart Solutions to select the best options for children and families to meet their community’s specific needs. These needs are determined through local needs assessments, strategic planning, and collaboration with cross-sector partners around early childhood issues unique to their region.
“I believe that all children in Richmond County have the right to unbiased learning opportunities that allow them to achieve their full potential as engaged learners,”. stated Dr. Katrina Chance, executive director at RCPC. “Providing engaging evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or essential as we support families and early educators caring for our youngest learners and most valuable assets; our children.”
Partnerships fund and coordinate county solutions based off this information to ensure effective early childhood system-building work, advance child health, support families, expand literacy and establish high-quality early learning opportunities and support the early childhood workforce.
The catalog will continue to grow to include more solutions for North Carolina as well as evidence-based and evidence-informed solutions for other states. Additional solutions can be suggested for further review by e-mailing SmartSolutions@smartstart.org or using this form.
“By expanding the catalog to include a greater breadth of support for children and families, we can better meet the needs within each community, offering a comprehensive system of services, funding, and programs to cover the full ecosystem of early childhood,” stated Amy Cubbage, president of NCPC.
To find out more about Smart Solutions, visit https://smartsolutionscatalog.com/. To learn more about Richmond County Partnership for Children and solutions provided to children and families in Richmond County, visit www.smartstartrichmond.org.
