Emergency Items for Young Children in Need

crayons Every day, we receive phone calls from local agencies about families in Cabarrus County that are experiencing an emergency. Sometimes we have items already available at our office to support the family in need. Other times, we have to purchase emergency need items. All of this is possible thanks to the community’s ongoing support of our Emergency Fund.

The items that families need often varies. We received a call from a social worker about a family of five who lost everything in a house fire. The parents had already been living paycheck to paycheck before the fire and one of their children is disabled. The parents were devastated and they needed immediate assistance so their children could have beds to sleep in, clothes to wear, a pack ‘n play for their baby, diapers, wipes, food and other essential items.

The W.H.A.L.E. Program

Imagine your child is riding in the car with their grandparents and the unimaginable happens. The car they are riding in is involved in a rollover accident. First responders arrive on the scene to find the adults are unresponsive and unable to provide information about themselves, much less their tiny passenger.

NC Pre-K One of Only Two State Preschool Programs in the Nation that Measure Teaching Quality and Meet Standards

Published by: NC Early Childhood Foundation (January 3, 2019)

NC Pre-K provides high-quality preschool to eligible four-year-olds in North Carolina. The state’s preschool program scored significantly better than the average state preschool program on a recent nationwide assessment of preschool quality. NC Pre-K scores well on having rigorous, well-articulated early learning policies and using best practices.

Notably, North Carolina is:

One of only two state preschool programs in the nation that measure and meet standards for high quality teaching;
One of only nine programs judged to have effective curriculum;
One of only 14 programs that meet criteria for high quality professional development; and
One of only 16 programs judged to make data-driven decisions.

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Smart Start and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Reach One Millionth Book Milestone in NC

The one millionth book was delivered this month directly to the home of a young North Carolina child thanks to a partnership between the globally recognized early literacy program Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and Smart Start, North Carolina’s early childhood network. The program has currently registered nearly 200,000 children to date.

“Smart Start and the Imagination Library dared to dream big and look what we have done!” stated Dolly Parton, the founder of the program. “And best of all we are just getting started. We want to inspire every child in North Carolina to love reading and to love learning.”

During the 2017 legislative session, North Carolina state lawmakers included $3.5 million in the first year of the budget and $7 million in the second year for the Smart Start network to offer free books through Imagination Library to children across the state. Imagination Library is a program created to foster a love of reading among children aged birth to five through the gift of a specially selected book delivered right to their home each month.

Luncheon Recap

Thank you for joining us as we concluded our 20th anniversary year with the Voices for Children Luncheon. We want to thank our Board of Directors, staff, direct service providers, and community for helping us change young lives in Cabarrus County. There are no words to express how grateful we are for your support.

In case you missed it:

Download: 2017-18 Annual Report

Video: Arath's Journey (A.L. Brown Principal and Teacher Interviews)

Video: Arath's Presentation at the Voices for Children Luncheon