Contributed to the Telegram

Nineteen Smart Start Partnerships received awards for program excellence recently at Smart Start's Annual Conference Dinner Celebration in Greensboro,.

Ashley Thrift, president of the board of directors of the N.C. Partnership for Children Inc., the statewide nonprofit that leads all 78 Smart Start partnerships across the state, presented the awards during a dinner ceremony at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.

Three partnerships earned Silver Awards for meeting and sustaining high performance standards in the areas of early care and education, family support, and financial accountability for the past five consecutive years. Each Silver Award winner received a certificate of achievement and $2,000.

Sixteen partnerships received Bronze Awards for meeting and sustaining the same high-performance standards for three consecutive years. Bronze Award winners received certificates of achievement and $1,000 for their partnership.

"These partnerships meet Smart Start's high standards in program effectiveness and financial accountability," said Stephanie Fanjul, president of The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc.. "Not only are they effectively serving the needs of children in their communities, they have proven to be exemplary stewards of public and private dollars."

Partnerships receiving recognition were: Silver Award – Avery County Smart Start: A Partnership for Children; Down East Partnership for Children; and Region A Partnership for Children.

Bronze Award – Albemarle Smart Start Partnership Inc.; Anson County Partnership for Children; Buncombe County Partnership for Children Inc.; Cleveland County Partnership for Children Inc.; Craven Smart Start Inc.; Franklin-Granville-Vance Partnership for Children Inc.; Guilford County Partnership for Young Children Inc.; Halifax-Warren Smart Start Partnership for Children Inc.

Also, Iredell County Partnership for Young Children Inc.; Martin/Pitt Partnership for Children Inc.; Robeson County Partnership for Children; Smart Start Rowan Inc.; Scotland County Partnership for Children and Families Inc.; Tyrrell-Washington Partnership for Children Inc.; and Wilkes Community Partnership for Children.

Smart Start is North Carolina's early childhood leadership network.