At A Glance

January 2025

Program Spotlight

Smart Start Masters

The Smart Start MASTERS Specialist program is a comprehensive initiative aimed at elevating the standards and quality of child care centers and homes. Cindy Owen, Alliance for Children's SS MASTERS Quality Specialist, helps child care providers enhance their classrooms and teaching strategies for better outcomes for the children and families they serve. Cindy offers technical support within the classrooms, comprehensive training tailored to the needs of the child care professionals, and through materials needs assessments, is able to provide materials to increase quality and enrich the classroom environment. By combining these strategies, the SS MASTERS program not only enhances the quality of the facilities but also creates enriching environments for children and their teachers.

Dolly Parton Imagination Library

Smart Start and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library work together to get books into the hands of North Carolina's youngest children. This free program for children birth to kindergarten supplies age-appropriate books to help foster a love for reading.

In Union County the Dolly Parton Imagination Library serves 6,519 children each month. Through Alliance for Children a new, carefully selected book will be mailed in your child’s name directly to your home every month. He/she can look forward to new and exciting reading adventures from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library until he/she turns five years old as long as you remain a resident of Union County. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a FREE GIFT to our children! All you have to do is read to your children. (Please allow up to 60 days to receive your first book.)

Click here for more information.

Dolly Parton Imagination Library

Story Spotlight

The Snowy Day Bilingual - By: Ezra Jack Keats

In 1962, a little boy named Peter put on his snowsuit and stepped out of his house and into the hearts of millions of readers. Universal in its appeal, this story beautifully depicts a child's wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever. The quiet fun and sweetness of Peter’s small adventures in the deep, deep snow is perfect for reading together on a cozy winter day.

Board Member Spotlight

Ms. Lauren Meseroll

Ms. Lauren Meseroll has been a part of Alliance for Children's Board of Directors since 2021. Ms. Meseroll serves as the South Piedmont Community College's presidential designee. She is the Director of Admissions and Enrollment at South Piedmont Community College. Prior to her current role Ms. Meseroll served as a Direct Service Provider with our Best Start Program and the Education Stars Program. Ms. Meseroll has lived in Matthews for the past 12 years with her husband and two children, Sarah and John Everett. We are so thankful for Ms. Lauren Meseroll and her service on the Alliance for Children Board of Directors.

North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten is a free NC funded program, serving eligible four-year-old children the year before kindergarten. Attending NC Pre-K strengthens children’s learning and development based on NC Foundations standards in five areas: Approaches to Play and Learning, Emotional and Social Development, Health and Physical Development, Language Development and Communication, and Cognitive Development.

Classroom size is a maximum of twenty children. Instruction is led by

a lead teacher licensed in Birth-Kindergarten studies, and

an assistant teacher who holds or is working on an Associate's degree

in Early Childhood education or a closely related field. NC Pre-K closely follows

public-school hours and calendar.

Children’s days are packed with learning in interest areas including blocks,

dramatic play, library, toys and games, art, music and movement, and sand and water, and discovery. Daily outdoor learning opportunities strengthen gross motor and physical skills.

For children who are four on August 31, 2025, applications will open for the 2025-2026

NC Pre-K school year in February 2025. Prepare now by reviewing eligibility, and

ordering a birth certificate to make the application process easier.

Click here for more information.

NC Pre-K Spotlight

NC Pre-K teachers choose from a variety of Creative Curriculum® studies to help students prepare for Kindergarten. One Union County classroom used the “Clothes” study to learn concepts and skills in literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, and technology. Children investigated types of fabrics and clothing that are worn for a variety of jobs. They asked questions, solved problems, and so much more. One family donated fabric remnants for children to create their own clothing. This is a great way to strengthen fine motor skills through cutting and picking up fabrics. Families created and shared boards with clothing and fabrics worn by people in their countries and cultures to extend learning. New January studies in the NC Pre-K Union County classrooms include Pets, Trees, Buildings, Light, and Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Perspective | Intervening early for literacy equity across North Carolina

North Carolina Early Childhood Foundations’ (NCECF) latest report dives into how North Carolina can create more equitable access to high-quality literacy instruction. This is critical because, as the U.S. Treasury Department regularly reminds us, “education is the bedrock of our country and economy, and policies that raise the quality and amount of education for underserved children boost productivity for the country and each state.”

The ability to read is a core component of this bedrock, and North Carolina’s school report card data show that at the end of the 2022-23 academic year, only 51% of eighth-grade students could read and comprehend text at a proficiency level appropriate for their grade. This means that half of all high school students will need help engaging in grade-level material across all subjects and will be underprepared for postsecondary pathways. 

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Want to get involved in our mission? Donations are a great way to make a difference in the future of the children we serve. Alliance for Children accepts donations of products, books, and monetary contributions. All donations are tax deductible.

Visit our website!

Alliance for Children | 704-226-1407 | www.theallianceforchildren.org