President and CEO | Dr. Louis Finney, Jr.

Hello Forsyth County,

I would like to share insights about our organization's activities and goals for May. Smart Start of Forsyth County is dedicated to enhancing early childhood education by providing resources and support for families and educators in the community.

The health of our current programming is incredibly important, such as the Forsyth County Pre-K Program and various family engagement initiatives. These efforts aim to ensure that children have access to high-quality early learning experiences, which are crucial for children's development and future success.

My leadership style attempts to emphasize the creation of an equitable early childhood system. Under my advice, Smart Start has been actively involved in numerous initiatives, including the American Rescue Plan Act – Pre-K Initiative and the Winston-Salem Transformational Childcare Relief Initiative, which focuses on expanding and improving early childhood education services in Forsyth County.

Dr. Finney, who has over 25 years of experience in early childhood education and nonprofit leadership, continues to advocate for the critical role of early childhood educators. His work includes securing significant funding for early childhood programs and serving on several national advisory boards to promote best practices in the field.

Smart Start of Forsyth County's program "Men Aspiring Longterm Excellence," or M.A.L.E., hosted a Mother's Day gathering to thank the amazing matriarchs that keep our community thriving.

The program supports fathers and father figures with a full spectrum of topics to encourage engagement and involvement in active parenting.

Tuesday 6/4/24 | 6:30-7:30

Tuesday 6/11/24 | 6:30-7:30

Tuesday 6/18/24 | 5:30-8:00

Tuesday 6/25/2024 | 6:30-8:00

We're Moving We're Learning

Mindfulness

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Anxiety in Preschool

Please visit www.smartstart-fc.org for more information and registration.

“Before he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done. I can’t tell you how much that meant to me because I created the Imagination Library as a tribute to my Daddy. He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams.”

-Dolly Parton

Through Smart Start of Forsyth County, the Imagination Library has served over 28,000 children, but we are at capacity and need your help. This program is free for children from birth to Kindergarten and supplies participants with age-appropriate books. From a young age, exposure to literacy is vital for later understanding of language and other studies.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library:

Story Spotlight

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library puts books into the hands and hearts of children around the world. Imagination Library books are specially selected age-appropriate, high-quality titles. These books are delivered to registered children each month from birth to age five. Each one is personalized with the child’s name and mailed directly to the child’s home. This effort creates a gifting experience making books exciting and shows the child someone is thinking of them. The Blue Ribbon Book Selection Committee selects several bilingual English/Spanish titles each year.

Choosing a childcare program is one of the most important early decisions you’ll make for your child. This Childcare Guide can help you with that decision. The ongoing Family Childcare Scholarship Program provides childcare scholarships to qualifying families residing in Forsyth County. Eligibility is based on income guidelines identical to the Forsyth County Dept. of Social Services. Childcare scholarships are available for children from birth through the start of kindergarten. All families that apply in February, March, and April will be placed on a waitlist due to funding. 

The application for the Family Childcare Scholarship Program is on the SchoolMint platform. Parents will need to choose the 2023-24 application through April 30th. If you have not created an account for SchoolMint you must first create your account and follow the guided steps. 

Parent requirements are as follows:

• Working 25 hours per week,

• Attending school full-time, Or

• A combination of working and attending school for a total of 25 hours per week.

We will not be taking any applications from May 1st-May 17th. On May 20th, the application for the 2024-25 fiscal year which starts July 1, 2024 will be available on SchoolMint. 

Family engagement is also promoted through the Family Childcare Scholarship Program. Our team is prepared to promote healthy relationships between childcare providers, families, and their children by establishing positive and goal-oriented relationships to ensure family well-being.

If our subsidy program can be of service to you or your family, please contact us via email, and we would love to work with you.

Sherri Jones

Family Intake Manager

Programs Department

sherrij@smartstart-fc.org

Story Time

For 2024, Smart Start of Forsyth County resolves to help get more children excited about books. Child care centers and family child care homes in Forsyth County can receive visits from Tim Campbell, local actor and early childhood professional, to come out to their classrooms with an age-appropriate book and a related activity. Watch Tim model effective strategies for reading to young children while he delights the children in your classroom with his larger-than-life storytelling.

Books and activities related to a variety of themes and topic areas are available. For more information call 336-725-6011

Beat the Boredom!

Summertime Craft

Use the template below to build a layered lily pad! Paint the plate, and use a handprint to cut out an adorable frog!

www.SmartStart-FC.org