FAQ

Questions

1.	What is Smart Start?
2.	Is Smart Start the same as Head Start?
3.	Is Smart Start just for poor children?
4.	How many children has Smart Start served?
5.	Is Smart Start an invasion on the family and family values?
6.	How are private contributions being used?
7.	How is Smart Start being evaluated?
8.	What is the total amount of Smart Start funds that are currently being spent on child care subsidies?
9.	What amount of Smart Start funds are currently being spent on child care related services?
10.	How does Smart Start relate to welfare reform?
11.	How is Smart Start different from other state funded programs?

Answers

1. Smart Start is a public-private early childhood initiative to help all North Carolina children enter school healthy and ready to succeed. Its unique, comprehensive approach allows communities to make decisions and plans that are specific to the needs of young children and families. Smart Start services are targeted for children 0-5 and their families and include making sure child care is of high quality and affordable and accessible to those who need it, as well as health services and screenings and resources for family support.[back to top]

2. Smart Start and Head Start are different even though they share similar goals. Head Start is a program that targets a particular population of at-risk children. It is based on a very specific program model and federal funding. Smart Start is funded by state and private funds and, although the program targets children with need, it improves services for ALL children under kindergarten-age. The specific goal of Smart Start is to assist young children to enter school healthy and prepared for success. Typically, Smart Start funds are spent on a variety of different programs. [back to top]

3. No. Smart Start is making an impact on North Carolina's early childhood system which offers opportunities for all children to benefit. Many projects that are funded by Smart Start are directed toward children who don't have access to high quality services such as child care. When services are improved for these children, they are improved for all children in care. Families also have access to more resources through Smart Start. [back to top]

4. Potentially, all children in a county may be impacted by Smart Start. Children may receive multiple services from a variety of programs funded by Smart Start, such as subsidized child care, developmental screenings, an enrichment program at the local library, and their parents may receive parent education. Because of these multiple services, it is difficult to know an exact unduplicated total number of children served, although it is possible to determine a total number of children served in a particular program. [back to top]

5. Smart Start provides an opportunity for local citizens to make decisions about services needed for their young children, based on each county's particular circumstances, need and resources. In addition, Smart Start allows citizens to hold local agencies accountable for the services they are already providing and affords the opportunity to those who are most familiar with local needs to fill in the gaps in services. [back to top]

6. Approximately 95 percent of all funds contributed to Smart Start by the private sector are directed to local programs in North Carolina. In fiscal year 1997, the NCPC distributed more than $2.6 million to programs in 47 Smart Start-funded counties and nearly $600,000 to an additional 37 non-Smart Start counties for expansion efforts. [back to top]

7. The overall goal of Smart Start, school readiness, is being measured by the University of North Carolina's Frank Porter Graham Research Center. In addition, each individual project that is funded by Smart Start is being evaluated to be sure it is getting results that will impact school readiness. [back to top]

8. Currently, 45 percent of all Smart Start direct service allocations is being spent on child care subsidies. Local partnerships are spending from 30-76 percent of their direct service funds on subsidies. [back to top]

9. The total amount of Smart Start direct service funds currently being spent on child care and child care-related activities is 72 percent ($40 million). In addition to direct child care subsidies, Smart Start funds are being spent on child care and education and teacher education and support.[ back to top]

10. Without child care, welfare families cannot work. As North Carolina continues to reduce its welfare rolls, the need for child care will increase. Smart Start makes high quality child care available and more affordable. [back to top]

11. Smart Start provides an opportunity for local citizens to make decisions about services needed for their young children, based on each county's particular circumstances, need and resources. In addition, Smart Start allows citizens to hold local agencies accountable for the services they are already providing and affords the opportunity to those who are most familiar with local needs to fill in the gaps in services. [back to top]