Champions for Children

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The local Partnership works with many different local agencies who provide services to children and families and works to identify needed programs and services as well as resources to meet those needs. Often, programs exist but are not being utilized. Sometimes duplication of services are noted. The Partnership was formed to eliminate  those duplications and fill the voids in the service delivery system.

By blending and leveraging existing resources and providing funding through Smart Start - the following programs are made possible to young children:

The following Child Care initiatives are currently supported by the Rutherford/Polk Partnership for Children:

Child Care WAGE$ (Rutherford and Polk County Service Area)

The Child Care WAGE$ Project provides education-based salary supplements to low paid teachers, directors and family child care providers working with children between the ages of 0-5.  The project is designed to provide preschool children more stable relationships with better educated teachers by rewarding teacher education and continuity of care.  

Child Care Resource and Referral (Rutherford and Polk County Service Area)  

Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R)  provides information to families in Rutherford and Polk County regarding child care availability and referrals for child care services; training for child care providers; outreach and public awareness pertaining to child care related issues; data collection regarding local child care needs and services; and advocacy for quality programs and policies affecting childcare.  In addition, CCR&R provides training and technical assistance to child care providers.  For more information contact:

Family Resources of Rutherford County 
PO Box 1619 
Forest City, NC 28043 
828-247-1440

Child Care Subsidy Program - Rutherford 

The Smart Start Subsidy program provides subsidized child care services for families who meet the eligibility guidelines for subsidized child care who are not currently served under the existing purchase of care program with the Department of Social Services.  For more information regarding Child Care Subsidy services in Rutherford County contact:                                                                                  Rutherford County Department of Social Services                PO Box 845                                                                 Spindale, NC  28160                                                             828-287-6199         

Child Care Subsidy Program - Polk                                                                                          The Smart Start Subsidy program provides subsidized child care services for families who meet the eligibility guidelines for subsidized child care who are not currently served under the existing purchase of care program with the Department of Social Services.  For more information regarding Child Care Subsidy services in Polk County contact:

Polk County Department of Social Services                         330 Carolina Drive                                                            Tryon, NC 28782                                                                      828-859-5825

Nurse Family Partnership Child Care Subsidy Program  (Polk and Rutherford Service Area)

In an effort to assist mother's participating in the Nurse Family Partnership Program with needed child care, Smart Start will provide a limited amount of subsidized child care services. For more information contact:

Cathy Brooks, Smart Start  Director of Program and Planning

828-625-4008

 

 Insurance Benefits Program for Child Care Employees     (Rutherford and Polk County Service Area)

This activity provides monthly reimbursement for a portion of health insurance coverage (up to $220 per employee per month) and implements an ancillary benefits package (life, dental and disability) for qualified full-time Rutherford County child care employees. Tha ancillary benefits portion of this program is also provided to employees in Polk County Child Care.   For more information, contact:

Rutherford/Polk Smart Start Partnership                              668 Withrow Road                                                            Forest City, NC  28043                                                            828-287-2775

Motherlearn Child Care   (Rutherford and Polk County Service Area)

The MotherLearn Project was created as a Literacy/Adult Education Program to qualified students through a collaborative effort between Isothermal Community College , Family Resources of Rutherford County and Smart Start. Smart Start provides funding for the Child Care Portion of the project.  Children ages birth through five receive free child care services from qualified child care providers while their mothers are attending GED/ Adult Ed classes in an adjacent room at the Clara Allen Family Center, which is located on Broadway Street in Forest City, NC. This program is open to qualified residents of  Rutherford and Polk Counties.   For more information contact:

Family Resources of Rutherford County 
PO Box 1619 
Forest City, NC 28043 
828-247-1440 

Even Start
Even Start is a literacy program for parents of children 0 – 5 that includes adult education courses leading to a GED or High School Diploma, early childhood education, and parenting education.  The Smart Start component will provides one full-time early childhood teacher.  This teacher (Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education and/or Birth to Kindergarten Certificate)  operates an Early Childhood Education classroom, based on Head Start Inclusion Standards, for children 3-5 years old. On-site classes will be offered 4 days per week from 8:00 to 1:30. 

Rutherford County Schools 
382 West Main Street 
Forest City, NC  28043 
828-245-0252

 

Program Coordination (Rutherford and Polk County Service Area)

The in-house full time Director of Program and Planning will provide program coordination services which include: serving as the Smart Start liaison to outside community services; orient, train, monitor and oversee Partnership service providers, especially new providers or providers with new Smart Start funded programs; develop proposals for new and revised services, including long-range strategic plans and shorter-range activity descriptions; assist the Executive Director in the service provider bidding process; serving as the liaison to the local Partnership Board in regard to service planning and delivery; coordinate meetings of the Partnership’s Child Care Committee and Family Support Committee and organize a Child Care Health Committee to act as an advisory/support role with the contracted Child Care Health Consultant, and build capacity by researching, seeking and securing resources outside of Smart Start.  The service will be administered out of a designated satellite office and also at the local Partnership office during normal working hours. For more information contact:

 

Cathy Brooks, Director of Program and Planning

828-625-4008

 

Evaluation (Rutherford and Polk County Service Area)
The Rutherford/Polk Smart Start Evaluator evaluates the effectiveness of each Smart Start Project in order to make sure all the Partnership's Smart Start projects have measurable objectives and that these objectives are reported both quarterly and annually. Smart Start is committed to making sure its projects work. 

Rutherford/Polk Smart Start
668 Withrow Road 
Forest City, NC  28043 
828-287-2775

 


Smart Start

Innovations in American Government Award

 

 PO Box 823
Spindale, NC  28160
ph: 828-287-2775, fx: 828-288-9552
smartstart444@bellsouth.net