Carteret Smart Start

RATIO REDUCTION SUBSIDY (2341): This activity includes subsidy rate enhancements available for facilities with a star rating of 4 or better for children under the age of six and may include best practice bonuses. Subsidize childcare for at risk children under the age of six in families eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy families (TANF) who are participating in the Home Based Family Therapy activity.

EARLY EDUCATION OUTREACH (3318): This activity provides a part-day educational program in an early preschool setting using the DCDEE approved Firefly curriculum, Buttercups, that is aligned with North Carolina's Foundations for Early Learning and Development. Parents are provided with information and resources to encourage them to actively participate in their child's school experiences.

CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL (3125;3105): This activity will coordinate and provide training on child care related topics, provide technical assistance to child care facilities, collect data and analysis for reporting and provide information to the public regarding early childhood issues. A resource library for parents and child care providers will be maintained.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION (5603): Monitors each program to ensure programmatic and fiscal accountability and provides for the collection and reporting of data to ensure that the programs and the Partnership are meeting their expected goals and outcomes. The Partnership is accountable to the North Carolina Partnership for Children (Smart Start) and undergoes a biennial audit.

HOME BASED FAMILY THERAPY (5417): Provides through Better Beginnings Inc. home-based family therapy and case management to those children with risk factors that have been associated with the development of negative outcomes later in life.

ENHANCED RATIO REDUCTION QUALITY SUBSIDY ADMINISTRATION (2361):This activity will provide services to support the implementation of the Ratio Reduction Subsidy activity including program administration; family outreach and application; eligibility determination; payment processing; annual recertification; and reporting, etc.

REACH OUT AND READ (5523) - Participating medical care providers will incorporate early literacy into young children's regular pediatric checkups or well-child visits by providing parents with new, culturally and developmentally appropriate books to take home and read to their children. The medical care providers will discuss the importance of reading, model reading a book aloud to the child, and encourage parent-child interactions as part of pre-literacy and language development with an emphasis on children growing up in low-income communities.

BABY STEPS PROGRAM (5506) - This activity serves families of children from pre-natal to early preschool age. Intensive support is provided to the participating families through in-home visits using the research based/practice informed Partners for a Healthy Baby Curriculum developed by Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention.

DPIL (5527): Families in Carteret County with children age 0-5 may register to receive a new book every month from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Parents will be encouraged to read to their child regularly promoting a successful future for their child.