Governor Stein Proclaims September Smart Start Month 

Person County Partnership for Children Celebrates 3^rd Annual Smart Start Month  

Governor Josh Stein has proclaimed September 2026 as Smart Start Month, honoring the vital work of the Smart Start Network on behalf of the state’s youngest children and the families and caregivers who raise them. Person County Partnership for Children, serving Person County, is proud to be one of 75 Local Partnerships statewide that together make up the Smart Start Network. 

“We’re grateful Governor Stein continues to recognize the value and strength of our Network that families in every corner of this state have come to trust, rely on, and count on year after year,” said Amy Cubbage, President of the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC), the nonprofit that leads the Network.  

Smart Start is a Network of 75 local nonprofit partnerships that reach every one of North Carolina’s 100 counties, all working to create better outcomes for children birth-to-five. Across the state, Local Partnerships focus on three core goals: expanding access to high-quality early care and education; partnering with families to connect them with support, education, and the resources they need; and strengthening health and development outcomes for young children. 

Beyond direct services, Smart Start functions as critical infrastructure for North Carolina’s early childhood system, partnering with state and federal agencies and other nonprofits to close service gaps and administer statewide programs. This includes the administration of state, federal, local, and private programs and services such as NC Pre-K, child care subsidy, Head Start, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and more.  

Smart Start Local Partnerships have the flexibility and the data to determine how to improve the health, well-being, and development of children in each community based on local needs and resources. 

Research consistently shows that investments in high-quality early childhood initiatives like Smart Start pay off in the long run  for children, families, and communities through increased educational attainment, higher earnings, reduced crime, and better health outcomes.