About Us

The Region A Partnership for Children is a non-profit organization that was established in 1994 to administer Smart Start funding in the seven far western counties (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain) and the Cherokee Indian Reservation.

Smart Start is the North Carolina Early Education Initiative to ensure that all children are healthy and ready to succeed when they enter kindergarten. The NC General Assembly issued guidelines for Smart Start grant funding. The funders must serve children under six, before they enter kindergarten, in the areas of early care and education, family support, and health. The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) administers Smart Start at the state level. NCPC interprets legislation and funding issues guidelines to the 81 local partnerships in the use of Smart Start funding. NCPC contracts with each of the partnerships and provides support to them in planning for and carrying out Smart Start objectives.

The Region A Partnership for Children accomplishes its mission in the region in a number of ways:

By periodically conducting a comprehensive strategic planning process across the region,

By developing and helping to develop programs that support school readiness for young children,

By contracting with organizations and agencies throughout the region to provide services funded through Smart Start,

By providing services directly with Partnership staff,

By seeking and developing additional resources beyond Smart Start to expand the scope of regional activities and to support families,

By planning and partnering with other family focused groups and organizations in the region to maximize effectiveness and minimize duplication of services, and

By encouraging each county and the Qualla Boundary to engage in ongoing strategic planning with families, local service providers, and other community members to develop comprehensive, community-based services that address the needs and desires of families.

The Partnership has a regional board of directors that is comprised of county based positions such as parents, childcare providers, a department of social services director, a health director, a school superintendent, a librarian, a community college president, and business leaders. These positions are rotated among the seven counties and the Qualla Boundary. Directors of two regional agencies, Southwestern Child Development Commission and Southwestern NC Planning and Economics Development Commission, are appointed to the Board on a permanent basis.

The Carolina Mountain Trust for Children and Youth is an endowment fund through the Partnership to provide grants for addressing the needs of children and youth in western North Carolina.

Read our Annual Report online.