Cape Hatteras Anglers Club donates to Imagination Library
Larry Hardham (right), president of Cape Hatteras Anglers Club, and Sheryl Fink (left), treasurer, present a check for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program to Carla Heppert of Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County.
Cape Hatteras Anglers Club has built a name on their dedication to the marine life throughout Dare County. But their commitments extend much further into the community, working to nourish yet another precious resource, our children. Through a generous donation of $270 to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program, members of the Anglers Club are recognizing the importance of early literacy experiences for young children, and are helping the children of Dare County to develop a love of reading at an early age.
With the help of generous donors like Cape Hatteras Anglers Club, wonderful children’s books will be mailed directly to the homes of young children all over Dare County until their fifth birthday. The goals of Imagination Library are to instill a love of learning from the earliest age possible, to improve childhood literacy and success in school, and to better prepare children to enter into Kindergarten. Dare County families can register their children for Imagination Library by calling Children & Youth Partnership at 441-0614. Please visit our website, www.darekids.org for more information.
Children & Youth Partnership is a non-profit organization serving children, youth, and families in Dare County. The Partnership administers the state Smart Start program for Dare County for children birth through age 5 and is a central source of information about activities, programs and resources for children.
Kids Fest 2010
TJ Maxx donates to Children & Youth Partnsership
Parenting Enrichment Program is presenting:“Kids and Substance Abuse-Tips & Tools for Parents”
Tim Hill and Mike Damoth will present “Kids and Substance Abuse-Tips & Tools for Parents” on Friday, April 16th, at 6:30-8:00pm. The goal of this workshop is to provide basic information about adolescent alcohol and drug use with a focus on warning signs and symptoms. Strategies to strengthen communication and involvement in your child’s life will be provided, including understanding how children may view their caregivers as role models. Preventive strategies will be discussed and recommendations will be offered if you suspect your child is using substances. This workshop is free of charge and is part of the Parenting Enrichment Program’s “Family Fun Nights” series held at the Outer Banks YMCA in Nags Head. Child Care is provided for a fee of $3 per child. Register online at www.darekids.org or call Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County at 441-0614.Access to Quality Child Care and Family Support Programs Voted Among Top Priorities for Young Children in Eastern North Carolina Dare County Delegation helped determine priorities as part of Smart Investing summit on March
Greenville- Access to high-quality child care, support for families, availability of programs and services to meet basic needs, and collaboration among community organizations were voted the top priorities that would make the greatest, lasting impact on the lives of young children in Eastern North Carolina. The voting took place at the Smart Investing: Communities Thrive When Children Thrive summit in Greenville on March 2. More than 200 community members from Eastern North Carolina, including a delegation from Dare County determined that these are the primary issues community groups and policymakers should focus on to improve the lives of young children. The group also brainstormed action steps to make the priorities a reality locally.
Tuesday’s summit reconvened delegates from Eastern counties who are part of the Smart Investing public engagement initiative. Funded by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and with support from Lt. Governor Walter Dalton and Smart Start, Smart Investing: Communities Thrive When Children Thrive, brings together a diverse mix of citizens in communities throughout the state to determine how best to invest in children birth to five, and thereby the state as a whole.
The final votes reflect work that began last fall when Smart Start’s 77 partnerships leveraged their networks to assemble delegations of local parents, business leaders, health care providers, education professionals and policy makers representing every county. The delegations created a list of top priorities at local forums held across the state. Yesterday, participants were asked to narrow down the list to the top four priorities that if given time, attention, and resources by individuals, community, and government, would make the greatest lasting impact on preparing young children to become productive, healthy, and fully-engaged adults.
RAISING A READER BOOSTS PARENT-CHILD “BOOK CUDDLING” SUCCESS THROUGH NATIONAL EXPANSION
Kevin Gonzalez-Herrera, a preschooler at Dare County Head Start, demonstrates how he holds his red book bag when carrying it home each week. Each child at Head Start receives a new red book bag each week with four books inside. On the following week, they return their bag of books and receive a new one with all new books to read with their families.
“With nearly half of all U.S. children entering kindergarten lacking the early reading skills needed for school success, Raising A Reader provides a research-based model that prepares young children for academic accomplishment,” said Gabrielle Miller, Ed.D., national executive director of Raising A Reader. “With our new affiliates, we are now serving 110,000 children and families at 2,500 sites around the country, bringing us closer to our long-term goal of reaching one million children.”
More than a dozen independent research evaluations have shown Raising A Reader programs to significantly increase parent involvement and improve early reading skills of children. The program rotates bright red bags filled with award-winning books into children’s homes on a weekly basis, exposing each child to approximately 100 books per year. Local implementers are trained in interactive “read-aloud” techniques that stimulate early brain development and language acquisition. Implementers, in turn, train parents and caregivers. Through the program, families are also connected to their local public library. At the culmination of the program, children receive a blue library bag to keep and continue the practice of borrowing books and fostering the parent-child relationship (or “book cuddling”). The 25 additional affiliate programs are participating in Raising A Reader across 11 states and one U.S. territory. (See below for the full list.)
Several of the new affiliate programs have already achieved success through Raising A Reader. For example, the Children and Youth Partnership of Dare County in Kill Devil Hills, N.C., began implementing Raising A Reader in a local Head Start program in early 2009.
“Since Raising A Reader’s inception at the beginning of 2009, we have seen increasing excitement within both the children receiving the book bags and their families, especially as parents read at home with their children,” said Carla Heppert, the Partnership’s early learning coordinator. “For some families, all it takes is somebody supporting them and reminding them that reading and the quality time spent with children while reading is most important.”
In addition, the Southwest Human Development (SWHD), Arizona’s largest provider of services for children and families, has partnered with the Arizona Multi-housing Association to implement Raising A Reader among families living in north and central Phoenix apartment communities.
“Community response to Raising A Reader has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Alan Taylor, director of training at SWHD. “Many potential partners have contacted us and expressed how much the program is needed as well as their support for the program. The combination of parental engagement, community support and the opportunity to watch children explore books is hard to ignore.”
Helping Dare County’s Children One Playspace at a Time
NC Cooperative Extension Director, Susan Ruiz-Evans, taking soil samples of the site to ensure proper planting conditions.
Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County (C&YP) has recently received a $2,500 grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) Foundation to help improve the outdoor play area at The Munchkin Academy child care center in Buxton.
Many North Carolina child care centers have poor quality outdoor environments, with areas of mulch or concrete and negligible greenery in the way of trees, flowering shrubs or other plantings. The Munchkin Academy’s outdoor environment is no different and is void of these elements as well. These outdoor environments in child care are not compelling spaces that teachers value or children would be eager to enjoy for physical activity and outdoor play.
In the spring of 2009, a project was launched to address this issue, as well as the trend of childhood obesity in the state. C&YP joined nine other Smart Start agencies from across the state to participate in the Preventing Obesity by Design (POD) project. POD is a result of a partnership between the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) of North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., with support from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.
The POD project is designed to improve the outdoor play and learning environments at thirty child care centers over a three-year period through training, design assistance, and technical support from the NLI team. The first round of outdoor environments were assessed in summer 2009 and a design plan was created to improve quality and add natural elements to the space. Teacher education to support children’s physical activity and healthy eating is also an ongoing part of the project. By the end of the project, other teachers in Dare County will be able to visit The Munchkin Academy to get ideas for their own programs.
“We applaud the efforts of Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County and value this opportunity to continue to align our foundation with organizations, programs and people committed to improving the health and well-being of North Carolinians,” said Kathy Higgins, president of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.
Statewide, the BCBSNC Foundation invested more than $726,000 in grants to 32 organizations as part of this most recent grant cycle. The BCBSNC Foundation focuses on three key areas: improving the health outcomes of vulnerable populations served by safety-net organizations, promoting healthy and physically active communities, and increasing the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations in the state. More information can be found at www.bcbsncfoundation.org.
While C&YP is thrilled and grateful for the generous grant from BCBSNC, The Munchkin Academy has the largest outdoor play space of the 10 centers being renovated this year, and the project is in need of additional monetary donations, material donations (plants, trees, mulch, lumber, art, etc.), and volunteers from local businesses and the community to be completed. If you, or anyone you know, would like to help transform and better the lives of Dare County’s children by contributing to this fundamental project in any way, or would like more information about this project, please contact Courtney Zwart at Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County at 252-441-4737. Also, please visit the POD page on C&YP’s website, www.darekids.org, for updates and a photo gallery of the POD project thus far.
Currently, there is a national movement towards spending more time outdoors as research persistently shows the beneficial effects nature has on young children’s lives in all areas of development: physical, social, emotional, and cognitive. The transformation process will include bringing nature back into the spaces that are primarily dominated by sterile, synthetic equipment by introducing flower and vegetable gardens, sensory pathways, the use of rain barrels and so much more to make these outdoor environments conducive to learning and play. Everything children can learn and do inside, they can learn and do outside. The plan is to integrate free play activities (i.e. music, art, math, science, etc.) into the outdoor play area through mosaics, instrument discovery, exploration, and imagination. The Preventing Obesity by Design II project is in need of community partners and volunteers to donate their expertise (i.e. what plants are native to this area, how to make raised planters) and time and/or materials for the landscape installation next spring. If you are a local artist/musician, club, nursery, organization and/or individual who would like to contribute to this project (in any way), or if you need additional information, please contact Dare County CCR&R at 252-441-4737 or at ecs@darekids.org.
Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County is a non-profit organization serving children, youth, and families in Dare County. The Partnership administers the Smart Start program for Dare County for children birth through age five and is a central source of information about activities, programs, and resources for all children.
Block Fest
Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County will once again host Block Fest™ NC on Friday, January 29 and Saturday, January 30th.
Parents with young children are invited to experience the fun of math and science learning through block play at Block Fest™ NC! Block Fest™ NC is an interactive building extravaganza for parents and their children 8 months to 5 years of age.
Research shows that block play is important for many reasons including:
• Block play enhances early math thinking skills
• Early math skills are a key predictor of school readiness.
• Blocks have been shown to increase children’s math and science abilities later in life, which are critical skills in today’s economy.
• Block play also provides the opportunity to increase social skills and literacy of young children.
Block Fest™ NC is designed to accommodate 30 children and their parents in each one-hour fun packed session. Sessions will be available on Friday, January 29th at 9am-10am, 10:30am-11:30am and 1pm-2pm; and on Saturday, January 30th at 9am-10:45am and 10:30am-12:15pm.
Saturday’s Block Fest event will also include a special story time and snack as your child joins us on the Imagination Library “railroad”. The event is free to all, but preregistration is required by contacting Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County at 441-0614. Sessions fill-up quickly – don’t miss this unique opportunity! For more information visit www.darekids.org
The Coastland Times Reports on CYP's 2009 Annual Meeting
2009 Group Champion for Children Award
Kathleen Wasniewski, Cheri Peele, and Thea Crane O’Neil of Outer Banks Mommy & Me accept the 2nd annual group “Champions for Children” award presented at Children & Youth Partnership’s 15th anniversary meeting on September 28.
2009 Children & Youth Partnership Executive Committee
Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County elected 2009-10 officers at its recent Board of Directors meeting and heard a presentation from Stephanie Fanjul, President of the North Carolina Partnership for Children. Pictured (left to right) are Loretta Michael, executive director, Bill Vann, Stephanie Fanjul, Nancy Griffin, Lisa Cafferty, Lisa Murphy, and Sallie Ackley.
Lisa Murphy Recognized for Service
Lisa Murphy was recently recognized for her service as co-chair of Children & Youth Partnership for the past 2 years at the Partnership’s annual meeting on September 28.
Stephanie Fanjul Presents at Children & Youth Partnership's Annual Meeting
Stephanie Fanjul, President of the North Carolina Partnership for Children, spoke about North Carolina’s Smart Start program at Children & Youth Partnership’s annual meeting on September 28.
Outer Banks Community Foundation Awards Grant To Children & Youth Partnership for Imagination Library
Charles Hardy of the Outer Banks Community Foundation presents Loretta Michael a check for $12,000 for Imaginaton Library
Charles Hardy and Barbara Bingham, representing the Outer Banks Community Foundation, announced that Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County has been awarded a third grant for supporting children’s reading initiatives at the Partnership’s 15th annual Board of Directors meeting on September 28. A $12,000 award was presented for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, an exciting pre-literacy program that mails high quality books to participating children at their homes each month. Children are able to build a library of books in their home that can be read and re-read to them by their parents, nurturing young imaginations and creating family reading time, while laying a foundation for development of reading skills. The Community Foundation’s award will ensure that over 400 children in Dare County continue to experience the benefits of this innovative program for another year. The Outer Banks Community Foundation has supported Children & Youth Partnership since its inception through funding and support for needs identified at various State of the Child Conferences. Examples of past support include the Wright Place for Youth home for children and the Dare County Youth Center. The Foundation’s grant kicks off the fall fundraising campaign for Imagination Library. Children & Youth Partnership is seeking key financial partners to be able to add new children and continue sending books to children already enrolled in the program until their 5th birthday. Businesses, civic groups, and individuals are encouraged to contact the Partnership to make a donation or become a sponsor of this nationally recognized literacy program. There are about 940 children from all areas of the county currently enrolled in Imagination Library. Children & Youth Partnership’s goal this year is to increase and maintain 1,000 children in the program. Last year 10, 194 books were mailed to young children participating in the program. Parents can enroll their child by contacting the Partnership at 441-0614.
Smart Start Partnership Meets with Dare County Legislative Delegation
RALEIGH, NC – On May 19th, a group of child advocates, child care professionals and parents from Dare County traveled to the North Carolina General Assembly as part of Smart Start’s statewide, “Tuesdays for Tots” initiative to discuss important issues facing young children and working families in Dare County on behalf of Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County. The group was joined by Smart Start advocates representing Hyde, Beaufort, Tyrrell, Washington, Pasquotank, Camden, Currituck, Gates, and Bertie counties and met as a group with legislative representatives from Northeastern North Carolina
Tuesdays for Tots is Smart Start’s signature advocacy effort that takes place every year during the legislative session. On Tuesdays, local Smart Start partnerships come to Raleigh for one-on-one meetings with legislators to educate lawmakers on Smart Start successes and discuss challenges facing young children and their families.
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 all of the state's 100 counties. Smart Start funds are administered at the local level through 78 local nonprofit organizations called Local Partnerships. The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., (NCPC) is the statewide nonprofit organization that provides oversight and technical assistance for local partnerships.
Smart Start has experienced funding reductions over the past 8 years of $29.9 million. This amounts to a loss of $87.8 million when combined with the effects of inflation. These cuts are occurring at the same time that economists and other business leaders are advocating that investments in young children are one of the strongest investments not only for the short term but also for sustained growth and job creation. In fact, the North Carolina General Assembly’s Legislative Study Commission on Children and Youth concluded: "It is critical to ensure the healthy development of children in the State and improve outcomes for all children in order to ensure the future success of our State and our citizens."
Dare County residents traveling to the North Carolina General Assembly included: C&YP Executive Director, Loretta Michael and Board members, Sallie Ackley, Thea Crane O’Neil, and Leigh Anne Vincent.
Smart Start is North Carolina’s early childhood leadership network dedicated to assuring that every child reaches his or her potential and is prepared for success in a global community. For more information, visit www.ncsmartstart.org.
Hard working Dare County child care center teachers, directors and owners attend a Conscious Discipline training sponsored by Children & Youth Partnership on Saturday, April 10th.
CELEBRATE AND RECOGNIZE CHILD CARE PROVIDERS: FRIDAY, MAY 7!!! National Child Care Provider Appreciation Day is a special day to recognize child care providers, teachers and educators who work with children in a variety of ways and are responsible for their education and care. Child care organizations and parents around the world are joining together on May 7, 2010 to celebrate Provider Appreciation Day. It is estimated that there are nearly 2.8 million child care providers in the United States and nearly 12 million children under age 5 are in their care. Provider Appreciation Day is appropriately celebrated each year because it honors the amazing individuals that commit their lives to help raise our youngest citizens during a very important time in their development. There are many ways parents can show appreciation to the special child care providers in their lives. Some suggestions are: send flowers, cards or a handwritten note of appreciation, pick up breakfast or lunch for your provider and for the kids, work with your child to create a special remembrance, buy something for your provider's play area, give your provider a paid day off, a raise, or a bonus. Locally, Children and Youth Partnership for Dare County is leading the celebration effort by sending Dare County’s early childhood professionals an appreciation card and inviting them to a dinner in their honor on June 17th, 2010. "Every day, child care providers in Dare County care for about 500 children under the age of 5," says Bonnie Brumbeloe of Children & Youth Partnership. "The parents of Dare County depend on the tireless commitment of our child care providers so they can go to work knowing their children will be safe and happy” . On April 10, 2010, 52 Dare County child care center teachers, directors, and owners gave up a Saturday to attend a Conscious Discipline training offered by Children & Youth Partnership. Conscious Discipline® is a comprehensive classroom management program and social-emotional curriculum that is based on the teachings of Dr. Becky Bailey and was offered to the local family child care home providers 2 years ago. The program encourages providers to create a “classroom family” by developing caring and loving relationships with all the children in their care. Participation in training on their days off is just an example of the dedication of the local child care providers to the children and families they serve. “It takes a special person to work in the child care field and these individuals are often unrecognized," says Brumbeloe. "Friday, May 7th is a day to recognize the hard work and tremendous dedication of providers, and to acknowledge their contributions to the community by offering high-quality child care." To learn more about Provider Appreciation Day or for ideas on how you can thank your child care provider, contact Children and Youth Partnership for Dare at 252-441-0614, www.darekids.org . For additional information, visit www.providerappreciation.org .
Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County Receives Clean Audit Report
Partnership continues its record of clean audits
Kill Devil Hills – Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County has a “clean bill” of financial health, according to the Office of State Auditor. An audit of 2007-2008 Smart Start activities found the organization was in compliance and had appropriate internal controls. Children & Youth Partnership administers the Smart Start program for Dare County
The state audits Children & Youth Partnership every two years. Auditors look for compliance in three core areas: accuracy of financial statements; how the partnership processes and authorizes transactions such as grants, accounts payable, payroll and cash receipts; and contract compliance.
“We are very pleased with our results,” said Lisa Murphy board co-chair for the Dare Partnership, “We have worked hard to use every tax dollar wisely to help our children and our county thrive, and this audit shows we have done just that.”
Smart Start is an early childhood leadership network that leverages private and public dollars to address issues critical to North Carolina’s young children. Created in 1993 by Governor Jim Hunt, Smart Start is funded in all 100 North Carolina counties and is administered by 78 local Smart Start partnerships that create community-based programs. Smart Start financially supports programs that increase the number of quality early childhood program, provides education credits to early childhood workers, supports parent education programs and connects families with medical services.
The North Carolina Partnership for the Children (NCPC), Inc. leads the state Smart Start initiative. NCPC places great emphasis on local control, coupled with strict accountability, oversight and measures to ensure financial integrity. NCPC undergoes annual audits and the Smart Start partnerships undergo either annual or biennial financial and compliance audits by the State Auditor.
For more information about Children & Youth Partnership, visit the Partnership’s Web site at www.darekids.org, or call 252-441-0614.
Smart Start is North Carolina’s early childhood leadership network dedicated to assuring that every child reaches his or her potential and is prepared for success in a globally competitive world. For more information, visit www.ncsmartstart.org.
First Flight Rotary Donates to Imagination Library
Bob Davis, President of First Flight Rotary Club, presents a check for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Carla Heppert, Early Learning Coordinator for Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County.
Manteo Rotary Donates to Imagination Library
E.R.Midgett Donates to Imagination Library
The staff of E.R. Midgett Insurance Agency in Kitty Hawk presents a check for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program. Pictured from left to right: Rhonda Hansen, Paul Tine, Nicole Gaskill, Tonya Orth, Carla Heppert of Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County, and Joann Camporeale.
North Bank Rotary Donates to Imagination Library
John Bone, President of North Banks Rotary Club, presents a check for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Carla Heppert, Early Learning Coordinator for Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County.
Once again, North Banks Rotary Club has demonstrated their dedication to the community by continuing their support for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library with a donation of $1,000. In the March issue of The Rotarian, the official magazine of Rotary International, it was noted that more than 140 Rotary clubs participate in the Imagination Library program. Here in Dare County, it is clear through their continued generosity that North Banks Rotary Club realizes the importance of Imagination Library for our community and the importance of developing a love of reading at an early age.
With the help of generous donors like North Banks Rotary Club, wonderful children’s books will be mailed directly to the homes of young children all over Dare County until their fifth birthday. The goals of Imagination Library are to instill a love of learning from the earliest age possible, to improve childhood literacy and success in school, and to better prepare children to enter into Kindergarten. Dare County families can register their children for Imagination Library by calling Children & Youth Partnership at 441-0614. Please visit our website, www.darekids.org for more information.
Children & Youth Partnership is a non-profit organization serving children, youth, and families in Dare County. The Partnership administers the state Smart Start program for Dare County for children birth through age 5 and is a central source of information about activities, programs and resources for children.
OBX Bank Donates to Imagination Library December 2009
OBX Bank presented a $1,000 donation to Children & Youth Partnership for the Imagination Library program. Pictured L to R, Dee McManus, OBX Bank, Loretta Michael, Children & Youth Partnership, Phyllis Neal and Penny Bentley, OBX Bank.
OBX Bank has once again donated $1,000 to Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. This contribution will help ensure that children already enrolled in the program continue to receive books each month, and that new children can participate.
With the help of generous donors like the OBX Bank, outstanding children’s books are being mailed directly to young children in their homes each month until their fifth birthday. These children will be able to begin building their own library of books at home that can be read and re-read to them by their family members, nurturing young imaginations and laying the early foundations for learning to read. Early exposure to words, books, and nursery rhymes helps young children build language skills - and parents will be reminded each month when a new book arrives to create time to read to their child.
Any child under the age of 5 years in Dare County is eligible for the program, and parents may register their child by contacting Children & Youth Partnership at 441-0614. More information about Imagination Library can be found on our website, www.darekids.org.
Children & Youth Partnership is a non-profit organization serving children, youth, and families in Dare County. The Partnership administers the state Smart Start program for Dare County for children birth through age 5 and is a central source of information about activities, programs, and resources for children.
First Flight Crusiers donate to Imagination Library
Members of the First Flight Cruisers presented a $2,000 donation to Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County for the Imagination Library program.
The First Flight Cruisers have donated $2,000 to Children & Youth Partnership to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program in Dare County. The First Flight Cruisers is an all make/model auto club on the Outer Banks open to vehicle enthusiasts that enjoy gathering for fellowship, shows, and cruises while creating a positive impact on the community. The club members decided to contribute proceeds from their events to Imagination Library, benefiting all young children in the county.
The First Flight Cruisers joins several other corporate and civic donors as a Key Financial Sponsor, making it possible to bring this highly acclaimed reading program to children in Dare County. With the help of generous sponsors like the First Flight Cruisers, outstanding children’s books are mailed directly to young children in their homes each month until their fifth birthday. Children look forward each month to a new and exciting reading adventure, and as parents make time to read with their child, a strong association of love and comfort is made with reading. The goals of the program are to instill a love of learning, to help prepare children for Kindergarten, and to improve childhood literacy and success in school. Families can register for Imagination Library by calling Children & Youth Partnership at 441-0614. More information can be found at www.darekids.org.
Children & Youth Partnership is a non-profit organization serving children, youth, and families in Dare County. The Partnership administers the state Smart Start program for Dare County for children birth through age 5 and is a central source of information about activities, programs, and resources for children.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
As children in Dare County head back to school, Children & Youth Partnership and Imagination Library will be gearing up for another successful year. Imagination Library, begun in 2008 for Dare County, is a program that was founded by Dolly Parton to provide books and reading opportunities for all children. Once registered, children who are enrolled in the program will receive an age-appropriate book each month until their fifth birthday.
With books reaching every town and community in Dare County, Imagination Library is helping to give local children a fun and educational way to spend time with their families. When children receive their books in the mail each month, the excitement of receiving something new in the mail helps to build enthusiasm and opens up opportunities for parents to sit and read to their children. This quality time between parents and children helps to prepare each child for their entrance into school and develops their vocabulary and imagination, while laying a foundation for reading skills that will be necessary as they grow. By reading to their children, parents are helping to promote brain development and a love of reading that is vital during the critical developmental years of early childhood.
Imagination Library is currently reaching close to 950 children in Dare County and has mailed over 10,000 books since July 2008. But this wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity and support from financial sponsors and the community. Approximately $28 is required to sponsor one child for a year in the program, and with the help of our past financial sponsors, we have continued to work towards our goal of serving and maintaining 1,000 children.
Beginning after Labor Day, C&YP will begin its fall fund-raising campaign to seek sponsors for the upcoming year. These sponsors help to ensure that the currently enrolled children are still able to receive books while helping to increase the number of children served by the program as well. To become a sponsor of Imagination Library, or for more information, please contact the Partnership at 252-441-0614 or visit the C&YP website, www.darekids.org.
In addition to searching for new sponsors, C&YP is also looking for feedback from parents whose children are currently enrolled in the program. While surveys have been mailed out to the most recent participants in the program, the C&YP website provides a link for access to the survey for all parents whose children currently participate in Imagination Library. The feedback gained through this survey will help to give insight into the program itself and what parents think about its implementation.
Children & Youth Partnership is a non-profit organization serving children, youth, and families in Dare County. The Partnership administers the state Smart Start program for Dare County for children birth through age 5 and is a central source for information about activities, programs and resources for all children.
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