Burke County Smart Start celebrates 3rd annual Smart Start month

Gov. 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.

Burke County Smart Start, Inc. (BCSS), is proud to be one of 75 Local Partnerships statewide that together make up the Smart Start Network.

“We’re grateful Gov. 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, 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 from birth to age 5.

Across the state, Smart Start 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.

In Burke County, BCSS provides needed services and supports for the community such as Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, NC Pre-K, Read and Grow with Me, STEPS Part-day Preschool, Smart Start Subsidy, Provider Insurance Benefit Package, and Child Care Provider Training and Technical Assistance.

“The work we do is critical to young children, families, and the community,” said Kathy Smith, executive director of BCSS. “We collaborate and partner with other agencies to provide an extensive reach into the birth to 5-year-old population. Our mission is to develop and provide, through public and private means, early childhood education and developmental services for children ages birth to five and their families. We also aim to bring together families, churches, businesses, and government to improve the overall lives and school readiness of young children in the community.”

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.

“This is the third September in a row North Carolina has stopped to recognize this work, and that consistency means something,” Cubbage said. “Our network is going to keep showing up for children and families from the mountains to the coast just like we always have.”

— JM