North Carolina Approves Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Statewide
Mecklenburg Partnership for Children has been awarded state funding to expand our Dolly Parton Imagination Library program county wide. We can now support an additional 20,000 children to receive age related, developmentally appropriate books mailed directly to their homes monthly.

In order to ensure that all 70,716 children (eligible children age 0-5) in our community can enroll, please consider an annual donation of $30 to sponsor a child in this program. Our goal is to have this program in every home in Mecklenburg County.

Look for an email from us within the next couple of weeks with more information and enrollment details.
Join the 21-day challenge to read aloud for 15 minutes every day and help to kick-start a read aloud habit across the country!

Smart Start of Mecklenburg County  and  Read Charlotte  have joined forces to bring this national campaign to the Queen City!

Throughout the month of October, we will be challenging parents and caregivers to include 15 minutes of reading aloud in their daily routine for 21 days straight.

What better habit to have than reading aloud daily for at least 15 minutes, and preparing the child you care about for school, learning and life?

Click below to commit to the 21-day challenge and learn more about sharing on your social media pages. Don't forget to take pictures of you reading to your little one and hashtag  #21DayReadAloud   #SmartStartMeck   #ReadCLT !
A Win for Mothers and Infants
Though it was a long time in development, the NC Medicaid Program will be making life easier and better for the 50,000+ newborns and their mothers that it serves each year. In response to a recommendation by the Child Fatality Task Force, a legislative study commission, and after years of advocacy by NC Child, the Medicaid Program will soon add  medical lactation support  to its service benefits.

Breastfeeding is one of the most natural and enriching human experiences. It is referenced throughout history, with many mentions in the Bible. But problems can arise in both the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding, particularly for infants born with special needs. This is when medical lactation support, provided by a highly-qualified lactation consultant, can be a critical benefit – critical because studies have now confirmed that there are enormous health benefits for both mother and infant associated with breastfeeding.

Article Written by Tom Vitaglione
89% of Parents Would Have Emotionally Healthier Kids If They Stopped This 1 Habit
When you spend time with your children ,  eating, playing, helping with homework, completing household chores, or just having a conversation--do you ever stop and look at your smartphone? If you do, you might want to stop.

That finding comes from a recent study of 170 two-parent households, where both parents filled out surveys about their daily interactions with their kids. Researchers found a connection between parents who stopped to interact with devices such as phones, tablets, or laptops during time with their children and those children's behavioral problems, including hyperactivity, whining, and tantrums. Disturbingly, they found that "technoference" had a negative effect, even if parents only occasionally pulled out their devices, for instance to respond to a text or listen to a voice-mail message.
Triple P Parenting Tip of the Month
Give your child lots of physical affection. Children often like hugs, cuddles, and
holding hands.



Join our FREE Monthly GPS Parent Workshop For Families of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) 
Funded Program
Polliwog Project at Thompson Child & Family Focus provides specialized therapies and child-centered behavioral intervention for children whose therapeutic needs do not qualify them for Charlotte Mecklenburg School’s Pre-K Exceptional Children’s program, the NC Infant/Toddler program, or whose challenging behavior impacts their child care placement.
Thompson Child & Family Focus
1645 Clanton Rd. Charlotte, NC 28208
Phone: 704-817-1615

Smart Start of Mecklenburg County administers approximately $13 million a year in state and private funds to programs serving children birth to age five, their families, and their caregivers in Mecklenburg County. 

 Thank You!

Thank You for all you do to Ensure that ALL Children in Mecklenburg County Enter School Healthy and Ready to Succeed!