News
MECK Pre-K Now Taking Provider Applications
Are you interested in having a MECK Pre-K classroom at your child care center for the 2021-22 school year? This is the fourth year of Mecklenburg County’s six-year plan to expand pre-kindergarten to reach all four-year-old children in the County. It is an incredible...
Smart Start of Mecklenburg County and Read Charlotte Announce Ready4K Texting Service Partnership
Smart Start of Mecklenburg County and Read Charlotte are excited to announce a partnership around providing a free texting service to more families with children ages 0- 5 in Mecklenburg County. Ready4K is a unique, evidence-based texting service designed to support...
Governor Proclaims February “Parenting Education Awareness Month”
Early childhood home visiting and parenting education programs strengthen the relationship between parents and children by increasing parenting skills and building confidence. Early childhood home visiting is one powerful way that parenting education is delivered....
Smart Start of Mecklenburg County Awards Five New Innovative Grants
For the first time ever, Smart Start is excited to announce that it has awarded five local projects a total of $118,904 in one time funding to develop innovative projects that will help us come closer to our vision that every child in our county enters kindergarten...
Guiding Parents to Services (GPS) Parent Support Groups
PARENT SUPPORT GROUPSYOUR VIRTUAL VILLAGE EVERY THURSDAY | 1PM - 2PM Click Here to RegisterYou are invited to the Guiding Parents to Services (GPS) Parent Support Group: Your Virtual Village. All meetings use the Zoom platform (you are not required to have Zoom to...
Partnering with MECK Pre-K
Join us for a virtual meeting with special guests and community partners. MECK Pre-K invites you to our 1st annual “Partnering with MECK Pre-K” Virtual Meeting with Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio. We will provide an overview of MECK Pre-K, its benefits and how...
Happy Birthday, Junior League of Charlotte!
The Junior League of Charlotte, Inc., (JLC) is celebrating their 95th anniversary! To honor this occasion, the JLC will initiate a diaper drive for their 95 Hours of Continuous Service Campaign running November 15 - 19. Smart Start of Mecklenburg County is thrilled to...
Encouraging Children to Wear Masks
In our current pandemic environment, face masks have become an everyday norm. Even as an adult, it can be challenging at time to wear a mask for prolonged periods of time, but these challenges are even greater for the youngest members of the community, especially...
*SESSIONS FULL* | How to Succeed in Toileting Training Your Child with Autism
Thursday, November 12 | 10:00am & 6:30pm Saturday, November 14 | 10:00amPlease join Guiding Parents to Services and Behavioral Health and Wellness Center to learn how to succeed in toileting training your child with autism! Whether you have tried and struggled, or...
‘The Library that Dolly Built’ to Premiere Online in December 2020
Save the date for a free online premiere of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library's new documentary, 'The Library That Dolly Built: Celebrating the People Who Made Dolly's Dream Come True' on December 9 at 7:00pm EST! This exciting virtual event will feature a live...
GivingTuesday 2020
Six Things to Know About GivingTuesday What is GivingTuesday? GivingTuesday is a global day of giving and unity. Now in its twelfth year, GivingTuesday is recognized as an opportunity for people and communities to come together in the spirit of generosity. The first...
Public Pre-K Options for Mecklenburg County Families during COVID-19
Decades of research have shown that pre-kindergarten makes a difference in the school readiness of children. Not just in the short-term to get children ready to succeed in school, but in the long-term as children grow up, become employed, and contribute to the...
MeckBetterTogether
Mecklenburg County's Department of Social Services (DSS) has teamed up with community partners to launch MeckBetterTogether. This initiative was created to maximize the efforts of child and family caring agencies to support families and focus on the safety and...
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Did you know that one in three children in the United States is overweight or obese? Being overweight or obese can put kids at risk later in life for diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and some cancers. It’s not too late for the child in your life, though! We want to give you the information you need to help keep your family healthy. Here are a few ideas for the entire family getting started on the road to better health.
Autism Parent Support Group
Virtual Weekly Sessions Thursdays | 10am - 12pm* *Beginning October 1While a child’s autism diagnosis can rock the world of young families, connecting with other parents who are facing similar issues can be an incredible help. Join Amy DeShazo, Autism Coordinator of...
International Literacy Day
To raise awareness for literacy issues that exist within our own community as well as globally, we invite you to join us in celebration of International Literacy Day, September 8. Each day, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL), a funded program of Smart Start of...
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Each Child. Every Neighborhood.
Smart Start of Mecklenburg County
(704) 377-6588
601 E. 5th Street, Suite 500
Charlotte, NC 28202