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Frequently Asked Questions
As
part of North Carolina's nationally recognized early childhood
initiative, Wake County SmartStart is working to ensure that every
young child in Wake County is healthy and ready to succeed in
school. We are accomplishing this by focusing on three areas
of a child's development:
Early Childhood Education,
Child Health, and Family Support.
Wake County
SmartStart provides very few direct services to children and
families. We do have three programs that we administer
directly: the Quality Enhancement
Initiative, Touchpoints, and More
At Four. Our main purpose is to serve as a catalyst
for bringing together agencies and individuals that serve children
birth to five years old and their families. By bringing
everyone together, agencies can collaborate their services and
resources to provide better solutions for families in Wake
County.
The Wake
County SmartStart office receives lots of specific inquiries
regarding child care and programs in the community. Below are
a few of the most frequently asked questions:
 "Where is the Smart Start child care
center?"
| This is
perhaps the biggest misconception that we run into! Smart
Start does not provide any type of child care, nor do we fund
child care centers or homes. Through the Quality Enhancement
program, we do provide
centers with technical assistance, teacher training,
consultation, and planning all designed to improve the overall
quality of care in Wake County. |
"How do I enroll my
child in Smart Start?" or "How do I get vouchers to help pay for
child care?"
| The Smart
Start Subsidy Program is actually administered by Wake County
Human Services and Family Service Networks (formerly Child Care Resource and
Referral of Wake County). To find out if your family is
eligible and to receive and application, you will need to
contact one of these agencies. Wake County Human
Services: 919-212-7250. Family Service Networks:
919-832-7175.
These agencies will assist
you through the process of determining eligibility (based on
family size and income). They also have a database of licensed
childcare providers who accept the subsidy
vouchers. |
"Are subsidy funds
available for my child yet?" and "Is there still a waiting list for
subsidy funds for my child?"
| These
questions can only be answered by the agency who manages the
subsidy program (see above). |
"I'm going to have a baby in a few months. Can I get my baby
on the waiting list for subsidy funds now?"
| Of course! Contact
Family Service Networks (919-832-7175) or Wake County Human Services
(919-212-7250) to find out the exact
procedure.
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"Can you give me
money to start my own child care center or home?"
| We don't offer
start-up money for child care. What we do
offer to child care centers and family child care homes is a
quality enhancement program. One of Smart Start's major goals
is to improve the quality of available child care, and
increase the average star rating of centers and homes in Wake
County to 3.25. If you are interested in participating
in the Smart Start Quality Enhancement Program, please contact
Elizabeth Santana at 919-789-9990 extension 2307. |
"Do you have emergency money for families who need help
paying their bills?"
| Smart
Start does not have funds for
family emergencies, but some local women's shelters, churches,
and community service organizations
do. Call our receptionist at 789-9990 for more information, or you
can try United Way's Information Line by dialing 211. |
"Do you have transportation available to take me and my child
to doctor appointments or school or work?"
"Does Smart Start only help poor
kids?"
No, not
really. The goal of Smart Start is
to ensure that the children most at-risk for failure or
difficultly in school and later in life receive the quality child care,
health care, and family support needed for success from birth through age
5. Children can be at-risk for a number of reasons,
including family income (or lack thereof), health concerns or
illness, identified developmental delay or disability, parent
education level, parent employment status, family composition,
housing instability, and lack of English proficiency to name a
few! |
"Is Smart Start a part of Head
Start?"
| The programs
are completely separate. Smart Start is funded by the State of
North Carolina and through private contributions; Head Start
is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(federal program).
The two programs serve slightly different populations as well.
Information about the Head Start program in Wake County can be
found at the web site of Telamon
Corporation as well as at the web site of the National Head Start
Association. |
"Wake County SmartStart is a
part of Wake County government, isn't it?"
| No, Wake
County SmartStart is a non-profit organization that operates
within Wake County and very often works along with different
persons and departments in Wake County government, but we are
not a part of Wake County
government. |
Have a question you didn't
find listed here? Email it to us! |
Currently serving
approximately 15,000 at-risk, special needs, and typically
developing children in Wake County.
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