8.4 Public-Private Partnerships

Lead Agencies must demonstrate how they encourage partnerships among other public agencies, Tribal organizations, private entities, faith-based organizations, businesses, or organizations that promote business involvement, and/or community-based organizations to leverage existing service delivery (i.e., cooperative agreement among providers to pool resources to pay for shared fixed costs and operation) to leverage existing child care and early education service delivery systems and to increase the supply and quality of child care services for children younger than age 13. 8.4.1 Lead Agency public-private partnerships Identify and describe any public-private partnerships encouraged by the Lead Agency to leverage public and private resources to further the goals of CCDF: North Carolina has a long history of local, regional and state collaborative planning and service delivery initiatives across the early childhood/child care system. For example, the Smart Start initiative, implemented in 1993, has an established local infrastructure of 75 local nonprofit partnerships and their boards that support community-based early education and literacy programs, early identification and intervention services, provide child care subsidies to expand services to needy families, conduct family engagement and support, and coordinate with health care service providers. In some communities, CCR&R, Smart Start and other community agencies partner to support access to information and services for families. This includes information and access to child care subsidies; eligibility determination services for multiple early learning programs (Early Head Start, Early Intervention, Exceptional Children, Head Start, Pre-K, Title I Preschool, Child Care Subsidy, other scholarship programs); quality early education literacy programs; access to parenting and job supports; child emotional-social-behavioral health interventions; dental and other comprehensive health screenings and services; medical home (e.g., pediatrician or other primary care giver); nutrition (e.g. WIC services); and health insurance (e.g. Medicaid, Health Choice). Additionally, NC's statewide Child Care Resource and Referral System is regionally organized around 14 hubs, providing clusters of counties access to early childhood and school-age resources and support services (e.g., Healthy Social Behavior; Infant Toddler Quality Enhancement; quality initiatives; family resources about quality child care). One of the purposes of the CCDBG is to promote parent choice in child care. During the pandemic NC CCR&R maintained a hotline and database collected through a provider survey which gave parents real time information about the locations of open child care programs and the number of available spaces. NC's Pre-K Program at the local and state levels requires diverse committee membership comprised of parents, teachers, principals, site administrators, Head Start, Exceptional Children, private providers, health representatives. These services are informed by a diverse committee structure. The NC Pre-K local and state advisory committee's infrastructure includes membership from various community agencies, teachers, principals, professionals, exceptional children and Head Start partners, and parents, and is co-chaired by the public schools and Smart Start. NC Pre-K is offered in both public and private sites which leverage additional dollars and supports. Additionally, the state's Pre-K program partners with 130 early childhood education/child care staff across private and public programs to mentor Birth-Kindergarten (BK) licensed teachers, leveraging mandating services to meet BK licensure requirements for up to 350 early educators and sustaining local support efforts. This model is being replicated across the state. Lastly, NC DCDEE is an active and engaged partner on state boards, committees and councils providing information to state partners about early education services, child and family needs and available services. By serving across state programs and agencies, partners are able to work collaboratively, seeking solutions based on best practices, with the goal of maximizing service delivery across auspices and building local capacity to sustain services.