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...

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...

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...

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...

Dear community members, We invite you to join us in observation of International Day of Charity on September 5. This special day is dedicated to recognizing the positive impact that organizations have on local communities, and Smart Start of Mecklenburg County is...

Income Restrictions Lifted to Help Families Impacted by COVID-19 MECK Pre-K will reopen with in-person instruction for the 2020-2021 school year. In order to ensure that children, families, teachers and providers feel safe and prepared for back to school, the...

Smart Start of Mecklenburg County is excited to announce our FY20-21 grant recipients! We are proud to partner with these area organizations to build a strong system of support for our young children and their families.  Smart Start of Mecklenburg’s mission is to...

You are invited to the Guiding Parents to Services (GPS) Virtual Parent Support Group. All meetings use the Zoom platform (you are not required to have Zoom to participate) and are 10am-11am.  These meetings are open to parents and caregivers of children 0-5 years old...

Dear community members, We invite you to join us in observation of National Nonprofit Day. This special day is dedicated to recognizing the positive impact that organizations have on local communities, and Smart Start of Mecklenburg County is proud to take part. On...

The countdown to kindergarten has begun! To help make the transition as smooth as possible, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), Child Care Resources Inc. (CCRI), and MECK Pre-K are pleased to share these new resources for rising kindergarten families. Take a Virtual...

With just a couple of clicks you can help us get the items we need to keep doing our critical work! Since schools closed in March due to COVID-19, over 1.2 billion children have been displaced from classrooms globally. From a local perspective, this means many...

Scientific research shows that preventative measures such as hand washing and wearing cloth coverings over the nose and mouth are effective ways to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities by lowering risk of exposure to COVID-19.   That’s why on June...

Special Announcement!MECK Pre-K is hosting socially distant registration events for June! They offer high-quality pre-kindergarten available to qualified children. It is County-funded and FREE of charge.

A sound, basic education begins at birth. The court in Leandro has affirmed what educators and the early childhood community know: “a high-quality early foundation for learning is critical for later success in school and beyond.” To meet its obligations, the state...

Smart Start of Mecklenburg County is focused on bringing awareness to increased levels of stress for families with young children as a result of the social, health and economic impacts of COVID-19.  Calls regarding domestic violence are up, although calls to child...