2400 N. Croatan Hwy, Suite D PO Box 2539 Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948 Phone 252-441-0614 Fax 252-441-3580

About Us

Mission Statement

To ensure the well-being of our children and our community - by providing services and resources; advocacy and education by;

  • Educating our community about issues affecting children, youth and families
  • Administering the Smart Start Program so that children enter school healthy and ready to learn
  • Providing educational opportunities and professional support to child care providers
  • Acting as an information clearinghouse
  • Advocating at local, state and federal levels
  • Collaborating with public and private agencies
  • Assessing unmet needs to provide the most appropriate services
  • Improving the quality, availability, and affordability of childcare

C&YP was formed following the State of the Child Conference in 1994, with a charge to focus on issues brought forward at that conference. Since that time, the Partnership has participated in the successful completion of the Wright Place for Youth and the Dare County Youth Center. C&YP has implemented many Smart Start Initiatives in Dare County including Child Care Resource & Referral, WINGS (pre-literacy tutoring), children's preventative health programs, and adolescent parent interventions. The partnership is also a central source of information about activities, programs, and resources for children.

What is Smart Start?

Smart Start is North Carolina's nationally recognized and award-winning early childhood initiative designed to ensure that young children enter school healthy and ready to succeed. Smart Start is a public-private initiative that provides early education funding to the state's 100 counties. Smart Start funds are administered locally through non-profit organizations such as Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County. Smart start funds are used to improve the quality of child care, make child care more affordable and accessible, provide access to health services, and offer family support.