The Family Focus Guide helps families and individuals in and around the Fayetteville area find resources in our community.
If you have a service-focused organization that serves families in the Fayetteville, Cumberland County area and would like to be listed, please email us at [email protected].
Smart Start is a comprehensive public-private community-based initiative to help all North Carolina children enter school ready to succeed. Created in 1993, the primary focus of Smart Start is to provide families with access to high-quality childcare. The program is predicated on the notions that (1) the first six years of life are the most critical; (2) better quality childcare programs can increase a child's ability at school entry; and (3) a child's ability at school entry can often predict later academic success. Currently, 81 local partnerships, encompassing all of North Carolina's 100 counties, have begun implementation of Smart Start to assure that children in their communities begin school healthy and ready to succeed.
Smart Start's approach allows communities to make decisions and plans that are specific to the needs of their young children and families. All Smart Start programs are based on three core areas: (1) child care and education; (2) health care and education; and (3) family support and education. The individual services provided by each site under these core areas are tailored to each community depending on its specific needs, goals, and priorities. As such, the full range of services is not likely to be available at all sites.
