Governor Stein Proclaims Smart Start Month

Smart Start Month

2025

By The Governor Of The State Of North Carolina

A Proclamation

Whereas, the nationally recognized Smart Start Network has worked to ensure all young children enter school healthy and prepared for success throughout North Carolina for more than 30 years; and

Whereas, the first five years of life are a critical window of development, shaping a child’s brain architecture and building the foundation for future cognitive, social, emotional, behavioral, and health outcomes; and

Whereas, high-quality birth-to-five strategies and programs focusing on early care and education, health and well-being, and family support are critical to help children thrive and reach their potential, building stronger K-12 and post-secondary educational opportunities for them and ensuring a more skilled workforce throughout our state for our future; and

Whereas, the Smart Start Network supports quality early care and education, preventive health services, and family support for children from birth to five years old; and the Smart Start Network has a proven track record in improving early childhood education, promoting healthy births, preventing child abuse and neglect, and enhancing family support systems; and

Whereas, the Smart Start Network serves all 100 North Carolina counties through 75 Local Partnerships that incorporate community voices and needs in program design and delivery to ensure each community receives the support it needs for success; and

Whereas, Smart Start’s Local Partnerships coordinate services, raise awareness, and create collective impact across North Carolina for children and families, generating systemic changes to ensure the comprehensive well-being of our state’s youngest residents; and

Whereas, the Smart Start Network recognizes and supports early childhood educators and providers as the essential workforce behind the workforce and as the people who play an essential role in helping children and families thrive and in growing North Carolina’s economy;

Now, Therefore, I, Josh Stein, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim September 2025 as “Smart Start Month” in North Carolina and commend its observance to all citizens.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this twenty-first day of August in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-fifth and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.