At A Glance

March 2025

Program Spotlight

Circle of Parents

The Circle of Parents program offers a friendly, supportive space where parents and caregivers can openly talk about their experiences raising children with a disability. It’s a place to celebrate the good moments and share the challenges. Families meet twice a month, enjoying a free dinner and activities for the children and their siblings. The discussions and topics are led by other parents, with guidance from a trained group leader.

Dolly Parton Imagination Library

As of February 1, 2025, The Smart Start Network will no longer accept NEW registrations for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) in Union County. We have reached capacity with state funding. 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗣𝗜𝗟. Follow us on social media for the latest status of state-funded DPIL registrations in North Carolina. NC Partnership for Children and Alliance for Children are working hard to secure more state and private funding for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) in Union County. We stand committed to early childhood literacy.

Dolly Parton Imagination Library

Story Spotlight

The Tree in Me

Through poetic text and exquisite illustrations of children reveling in nature, this picture book explores the various ways we as human beings are strong, creative, and connected to others. Each of us is like a tree, with roots and fruit, and an enduring link to everything else in nature. "The tree in me is strong. It bends in the wind and has roots that go deep to where other roots reach up toward their own trunk-branch-crown and sky."

Board Member Spotlight

Ms. Lauren Williams

Ms. Lauren Williams has been a part of Alliance for Children Board of Directors for three years. Ms. Williams works at Truist Bank as the SVP, Human Capital Enablement. She has been married to her husband Jeff for 12 years. They have three girls, Lilly, who loves playing soccer, Ellie who loves gymnastics and competition dance, and Rylee who loves soccer and dance. All three girls also sing in the Children's choir at church. Ms. Williams joined our Board of Directors because Children and Community outreach are a passion of hers. Since she has three little children who have gone through childcare and elementary school, she has seen the benefits of strong tools/resources and teachers in these settings. Lauren will pursue anything that she can to strengthen the relationship between parents, children, teachers, and the community. A fun fact about Ms. Williams is that she was a national figure skater until she retired at the age of 17. We are so thankful for Ms. Lauren Williams and her service on our 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, sand and water, and discovery. Daily outdoor learning opportunities strengthen gross motor and physical skills.

For children who are four by August 31, 2025, applications for the 2025-2026

NC Pre-K school year is now open.

Click here for more information.

NC Pre-K Spotlight

This month the NC Pre-K teachers had an exciting professional development opportunity to explore hands on materials with Chelsea Belyea the Program Quality Specialist for Pre-K MASTERS. This professional development allowed teachers to come up with activities that aligned with the North Carolina Foundations for Early Learning and Development. 

The materials provided were associated with the Creative Curriculum studies and allowed for hands on exploration of real-world objects. Some examples of these objects were: 

• Washers for the Buildings study
• Buttons for the Clothes study
• Balls for the Balls study
• Cardboard boxes for the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle study

Providing real-world objects allows children to explore and experience an abstract idea. This exploration and experience turn an abstract idea into a concrete idea. This allows a better understanding of vocabulary and building blocks to learn about the complex world around them.  

Chelsea Belyea the Program Quality Specialist for Pre-K MASTERS is asking for the following donations for the NC Pre-K classrooms:

- nuts, bolts, flat screws

- PVC pipe pieces

- Old Keys

- Fabric pieces or used clean clothes to cut up – even clothes with holes

- Garden Pots – new or used – clay or plastic

- Potting soil and packs of seeds ($1.25 store seeds work just fine)

- Small wheels 

- Boxes (small-medium sizes)

- Clean new or used socks (mismatched okay for sorting and classifying)

If you have any of the above donations and would like to help with the classrooms, please drop them off at the Alliance for Children office.

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