NC S336

Appropriates $20,000,000 recurring annually for the 2019-2021 fiscal biennium to the Department of Health and Human Services for distribution to Smart Start local partnerships through the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc.

Smart Start serves children birth to five years across all 100 North Carolina counties through a network of 75 nonprofit local partnerships focused on child care quality, family support, child health, and early literacy.

Current 2018-2019 funding of $154,000,000 is 33% below 2001 levels despite the population of children birth through five years increasing by more than 100,000 since 2001.

North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. provides fiscal and programmatic oversight of Smart Start services and reports annually to the General Assembly on outcomes.

Act becomes effective July 1, 2019.