Smart Start of Mecklenburg County and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library are working together to bring books to Mecklenburg County’s youngest children through funding provided by the North Carolina General Assembly.
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 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to children across the state. This program was 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.
Smart Start of Mecklenburg County began implementing The Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) Program in 2015 with private dollars. Smart Start of Mecklenburg County (SSMC) has been awarded state funding to expand the existing DPIL program of 2,800 children to reach an additional 20,000 children county wide.
In order to ensure that all 70,716 children in our community younger than 5 can enroll, please consider an annual donation of $30 to sponsor a child in this program. Smart Start of Mecklenburg County’s goal is to have this program in every home in Mecklenburg County.