Waynett Taylor Recognized for Exceptional Contributions to Early Education

Waynett Taylor, Executive Director and Inclusion Specialist at P.U.R.E. Excellence, has been honored with the Karen W. Ponder 2023 Leadership Award by the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC). This statewide award recognizes Taylor for her exceptional contributions to early childhood education in Cabarrus County.

Taylor was nominated for the award because of her long-term dedication to developing community partners and for her persistent advocacy for child care programs that benefit Cabarrus County’s youngest children, their parents, and their teachers.

Upon her arrival in Cabarrus County, Taylor began to ask questions, listen, and respond to the needs of our youngest children in the community and their child care providers. Since then, Taylor and the professional leadership of the Cabarrus County Partnership for Children (CCPC) have continuously identified, developed, and evaluated the programs considered to be the most critical for young children in Cabarrus County.

With Taylor’s leadership and valuable input, the CCPC has developed several programs including:

• Early Education Liaison Program: Provides liaisons from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (RCCC) to recruit and support early childhood professionals in registering for classes and helping them be successful in college.
• Inclusive Training and Coaching Program: Provides training in social-emotional development for teaching staff in early education programs.
• WAGE$: Provides education-based salary supplements to low-paid teachers, directors and family child care providers.

Taylor served two full terms on the CCPC Board of Directors and served as Chair during two of those years. She also serves as a board representative to the NCPC Local Partnership Advisory Committee (LPAC) and many other state-wide and local boards, foundations, task forces, and committees related to early childhood education.

During Taylor’s tenure with the CCPC’s Board of Directors, she helped the organization receive many honors and grants to further its mission to ensure child well-being in Cabarrus County. She also offered her expertise and support for the Cabarrus County NC Pre-K program, which enrolls children into private child care programs, Cabarrus County Schools, and Kannapolis City Schools. This program has been very successful and well-managed by CCPC over the years.

When the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, Taylor worked closely with child care professionals and assisted them in finding supplies, such as bleach, disinfectant, paper towels, and other items to help local centers sanitize their facilities so that children of essential workers could have a safe place to stay while their parents were at work. Taylor would fill her vehicles and distribute supplies throughout Cabarrus and Rowan counties with the help of her family and friends who were helping her collect supplies.

As child care providers struggled with finances during the government shutdown, Taylor moved into action. She had always expressed a desire for community collaboration with child care professionals when it comes to early childhood issues, and she worked to make these collaborations happen. While in her position as the Chair of the Early Childhood Department at RCCC, Taylor worked collaboratively with their Business Department and CCPC to form a Child Care Entrepreneur Certification for the NC Community College System to offer specific business classes designed for child care administrators. The program has served the community well over the last few years.

Taylor works tirelessly to pull together private and public groups in the state and in Cabarrus County for the betterment of young children in the community as opposed to viewing each ones’ resources as separate entities. This has played a vital role in the success of Cabarrus County’s early childhood programs.

Taylor was presented the Karen W. Ponder Leadership Award by Amy Cubbage, the President of the North Carolina Partnership for Children, during a special ceremony at the Frank Liske Park Barn on September 26, 2023.

[See photos from the award ceremony on Facebook]

In a letter from retired NCPC President, Karen Ponder, she states that Taylor exemplifies the kind of leader that she believes the NCPC Board wanted to recognize.

“Your vision, knowledge and can-do spirit are exemplary,” said Ponder. “Whether you were working with young children, directing an early childhood center, helping prepare the early childhood workforce, leading a Smart Start board, or in any of the other important roles you’ve played, your love for children and families guided all your work. And your beliefs in the value of partnerships and giving others credit, have undergirded all that you’ve done and accomplished.”

Earlier this year, Taylor was also the recipient of the Anne Laukaitis Champion for Children Award presented by the CCPC Board of Directors. This annual award recognized Taylor for being a knowledgeable, wise and passionate person who leads, listens and advocates for the young child, their families, the child care industry and early education in Cabarrus County.

The Cabarrus County Partnership for Children is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the mission to connect purpose, people and programs to ensure child well-being in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. For more information, visit: cabarruspartnership.org