Smart Start helps, but more needed

To the editor:

Smart Start has been operating in Brunswick County for many years and continues to improve the lives of young children and their families.

The most significant improvements have been in improving childcare quality and increasing the number of children in high quality care.

Today, with a great deal of dedication, hard work and statewide collaboration, 57 percent of young children are in high quality care. This reflects a 33 percent increase in the overall level of quality in childcare facilities since 2001.

In our county, the number of children in childcare and enrolled in high quality care has increased 30 percent since 2001. This is great progress, but is it enough? We dont think so.

Smart Start believes every child should have all they need to succeed. Not all families need childcare, but for those who do, a critical piece to that childs success is having access to high quality nurturing care. What is needed to make that happen?

Additional funds for Smart Start and similar programs that focus on improving child care quality; more assistance for parents to learn how to choose quality child care; and a pronounced belief by all policy makers that quality child care is important for the social development of our young children as well as the economic development of our communities.

Our local Smart Start partnership office looks forward to making sure that all young children have access to high quality care. We have done tremendous work in the past six years.

Let us commit our resources to continuing this work for all of Brunswick Countys young children.