At A Glance

September 2024

September is Smart Start Month

September is Smart Start Month in North Carolina, which recognizes the Smart Start Network's work to help children from birth to five reach their potential. The state acknowledges the network's leadership and impact over the past 30 years and believes that continued support and investment in Smart Start can help every child thrive. 

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Program Spotlight

Pre-K MASTERS

"The first day of school is the first step in a great adventure." New Union County NC Pre-K teachers came together for a New Teacher Training on August 19th with the Alliance for Children's Pre-K MASTERS Specialist, Chelsea Belyea. They learned more about Creative Curriculum and how to start their year off successfully with their little learners.

Farm To Early Care & Education

New Testament Baptist Ministries Child Development Center was another recipient of the Farm2ECE grant and they couldn't wait to start planting their garden. After their garden beds were assembled, the children added dirt to them and began planting their veggies. Congrats New Testament on all your hard work! We can't wait to see your vegetables.

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

How To Get Your Octopus To School

Getting your octopus to school won't be easy. He would much rather stay home with you and play hide-and-seek or dress-up. But you know your octopus will love school if he gives it a chance. And you'll tell him that . . . as soon as you can find him . . .

Board Member Spotlight

Mr. Baxter Starnes

Baxter Starnes, a CPA-Sole Practitioner in Public Accounting, has been a part of Alliance for Children's Board of Directors for the past six years serving as the Treasurer. He chose to be on the Board of Directors because of Alliance for Children's mission and purpose for helping children in the community. He also feels that the organization has strong board members and a great staff.

Mr. Starnes has been married to his wife Gwen for 51 years. They have one son, one daughter, and six grandchildren. A fun fact about Baxter is that he enjoys his farm animals, which consist of goats, donkeys, and chickens. We are thankful for Mr. Starnes and his service on the Alliance for Children Board of Directors.

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Spots still available in the Monroe area for the upcoming school year.

North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten is a free, high-quality state program designed to enhance school readiness for eligible four-year-old children. Studies show that children who participate in a high-quality pre-kindergarten program are more likely to succeed in grades K-12 and throughout their lives.

In NC Pre-Kindergarten, NC licensed teachers provide developmentally appropriate instruction to help children learn and strengthen a variety of skills in a classroom environment.

Click here for more information.

What’s Behind the Explosion of Apprenticeships in Early Childhood Education?

Tiaja Gundy was just 19 years old when she started working at Federal Hill House, an early learning center in Providence, Rhode Island. It was 2016, and back then, she lacked experience and expertise working with young children. She had no intention of staying in the field long-term, but the work grew on her. Gundy started out as a “floater,” helping with infants, toddlers and preschoolers as needed. She found she loved being around children.

As years passed, Gundy gained experience, and she moved into an assistant teaching position in a toddler classroom. Yet she was still missing some of the critical knowledge about child development that would allow her to continue growing in her career.

In 2021, Gundy recalls, one of her supervisors pulled her aside, and said, “You’re very promising. I know you can go farther in this field,” then told her about an interesting opportunity.

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Kaleidoscope Play and Learn

Check out what's happening at the Alliance for Children's new free weekly play group, Kaleidoscope Play and Learn. Every Thursday the play group meets at 10:00AM at New Testament Child Development Center with a new lesson each week and lots of fun. There are many benefits from learning through play. It helps build imagination and creativity, it fosters cognitive growth, helps improve literacy, encourages greater independence, promotes physical fitness, and so much more.

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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