Smart Start Funded Partners

Early Care and Education

Child Care Referral Program

Website: www.childcareservices.org

Contact: Christy Thalheimer , Director, Child Care Referral Program

The Child Care Education Referral Program assists families in understanding child care regulations, helps families identify high quality child care, supports families in their child care search process through a continuum of services that can include accompanying them to visit child care facilities, and provides Spanish/English bilingual assistance to help families access care and related resources. Referrals include only programs with 3-, 4-, or 5-star ratings, national accreditation, or licensed programs on contract for technical assistance to improve quality and increase star-licensure levels.

 

Book Babies

Website: https://bookharvest.org

Contact: Tabitha Blackwell, Executive Director, Book Harvest Durham

Book Babies is an innovative combination of books and literacy-coaching home visits that empowers families to support children’s school readiness, academic success, and a lifetime of literacy. Book Babies targets Medicaid eligible Durham County families with newborns and continues services until the child turns 5 years old. Book Babies provides Pre-K/K Transition coaching to eligible children, parents, and families to facilitate success in school by providing support and education to parents to help navigate through the critical transition from Pre-K to formal education.

Smart Start Child Care Scholarship Program

Website: www.childcareservices.org


Contact: Vivian Eto, Director of Family Support

The scholarship program supports working parents by increasing the affordability and accessibility of quality child care and improves school readiness by promoting quality in the Durham early care and education system.

WAGE$

Website: www.childcareservices.org


Contact: Allison Miller, Vice President, Compensation Initiatives

WAGE$ is an education-based salary supplement program for child care teachers, directors and family child care providers.

 

Health and Family Support

Early Childhood Outreach (EChO) Project

Website: www.exchangefamilycenter.org


Contact: Aviva Starr, Program Manager

EChO provides consultation, support and referral services to Durham child care providers and families when a child’s behavior presents a challenge. This activity increases the capacity for childcare providers to foster social-emotional development and address children’s mental health issues.

Healthy Families Durham

Website: www.ccfhnc.org/young_children.php


Contact: Karen Appleyard-Carmody, Director of Early Childhood Prevention Programs

Healthy Families Durham is an intensive, home-based family support program with the goals of preventing child abuse, promoting child health and identifying special needs. The project serves low-income, high-risk families starting during pregnancy through 3 years of age using the Parents as Teachers curriculum.

Welcome Baby Family Resource Center

Website: www.welcomebaby.org

Contact: Patience Mukelabai, Program Coordinator

Welcome Baby provides emotional and educational support to parents and caregivers. Families with newborns can speak with a parent support volunteer, attend support groups and receive problem-solving assistance from staff.  Developmentally-appropriate information about young children is distributed through newsletters, parenting workshops, and a lending library. The Motheread/Fatheread family literacy curriculum is offered in both English and Spanish. Families in need can receive car seats for a small fee after attending training and free clothing.

Smart Start Child Care Scholarship Program

Website: https://www.childcareservices.org

Contact: Michelle Hearon , Scholarship Director, Child Care Services Association

The CCSA Scholarship Program provides eligible families with assistance in paying for the cost of child care for children birth to twelve years old. The primary goal of the scholarship program is to provide children with access to high-quality child care.

Shaping Healthy Lives

Website: https://www.childcareservices.org

 

Contact: Monnie Griggs , Senior Director of Quality Enhancement Initiatives for Early Learning

Shaping Healthy Lives aims to reduce childhood obesity and increase physical activity in children ages birth-5 years at child care centers in Durham. The focus of this program is to assist child care centers in providing opportunities so children may succeed and enter kindergarten healthy and active.

Scaffolding School Readiness

Website: https://www.childcareservices.org

Contact: Monnie Griggs , Senior Director of Quality Enhancement Initiatives for Early Learning

Scaffolding School Readiness provides coaching for teachers working in classrooms serving children aged 3 years old. Focused on scaffolding instructional supports and learning environments beyond star rating requirements, this program centers on teacher interactions and methods for improving the social and emotional climate of the classroom.

Ready Infant Toddler Classroom

Website: https://www.childcareservices.org

Contact: Monnie Griggs , Senior Director of Quality Enhancement Initiatives for Early Learning

Ready Infant Toddler Classroom provides intensive coaching for teachers of children birth-three years old, focused on teacher interactions, developmentally appropriate instruction, language support, and responsive caregiving.

Partners, please click here to view the Direct Service Provider Manual.

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