Happy New Year! We're excited to see what 2020 has in store for our community and our children. Haven't heard of us before? Smart Start of Mecklenburg County mobilizes resources, forges partnerships, and supports families to improve early childhood health, education and development - all to help ensure children are prepared for kindergarten. Our four areas of focus are early care and education quality and accessibility, family support, health and early literacy for children ages birth to five.
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80% of brain development happens during the first three years of life. During these years, infants and toddlers absorb massive amounts of information from interacting with other people. Early brain growth becomes the foundation for all future learning. Meck Basics are five fun, simple, and powerful ways that every family can give every child a great start in life.
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The census is really important for Mecklenburg County. The census count helps bring valuable resources to our community, such as federal funding for things like healthcare, education and transportation. Census Day is coming April 1, and we need everyone to “Make it Count” by completing the census. The census is convenient, safe, required and important.
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GPS WORKSHOP
January 11
11 AM - 12:30 PM
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Sleep challenges impact over half of all children with autism. Whether your child has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both, you are not alone! Please join Julia Walsh from GoodNite Sleepsite in learning about healthy sleep hygiene and helping everyone in your home get a better night’s sleep.
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Healthy Futures Workshop
January 11
9 AM - 1 PM
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Food insecurity is at epidemic proportions. Learn how to identify the cues of food insecurity in young children. Then learn how to make delicious and healthy dishes using five ingredients or less.
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RESILIENCE SCREENING
January 11
5 - 6:30 PM
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Please join us for a free screening of the award-winning film Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope. Through a generous sponsorship by Bank of America and partnership with Northeast Seventh Day Adventist Church (NSDAC) we are able to share this informative documentary that chronicles the work of pediatricians, therapists, educators and communities using cutting-edge brain science to disrupt cycles of violence, addiction and disease.
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#CommitTo80
March 19
5:30 - 8 PM
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Only 39% of Charlotte’s third graders are reading at grade level. It’s up to all of us – at home, in a school, at work, or with a community group – to do what we can, where we can, to help children learn to read. You can make a difference whether it’s one child or a classroom of children, or whether it’s your own child or someone else’s child. We need your help to get 80% of our third graders reading proficiently by 2025.
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LEADERSHIP BREAKFAST
April 7
8-9:30 AM
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Our 2020 breakfast promises opportunities to engage with other community leaders while learning from Dena Diorio, the Mecklenburg County manager, on how you can add your voice to influence work throughout our community.
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Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is partnering with faith-based organizations to offer Active Reading Family Workshops to teach families how to read WITH children, rather than only reading TO children. Caregivers will learn the ABCs of Active Reading: Ask Questions, Build Vocabulary, and Connect to Kid's Worlds. A free family meal and free books will be provided for every child that participates, and free library workshops to faith-based sites that agree to host. Please call
(704) 416-0553 or email
eberrier@cmlibrary.org for more information and to sign up your faith-based organization to host Active Reading Workshops!
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FREE BOOKS - No Catch
ALL children in Mecklenburg County are eligible to receive a FREE book in the mail each month until their fifth birthday. Start building up your child's at-home library today.
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BECOME A COMMUNITY CHAMPION
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) has community champions all of Mecklenburg County. Pictured above are our friends at Child Care Resources Inc. receiving a small token of gratitude from our team during an event over the holidays called
Dolly & Donuts
. Our team delivered thank you notes and donuts to current top-performing community champions who help us sign Mecklenburg children up for DPIL.
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Your donation is a great way to get involved with the community and the best way to make a difference in the future of a child. Smart Start of Mecklenburg County accepts donations of services, products, and monetary contributions.
All donations are tax deductible.
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