Education for Providers and Families

Bladen Smart Start helps identify programs and services needed by child care providers and families as well as resources to meet those needs. Bladen Smart Start funds the following programs:

• Bladen Community Resource and Lending Library (Housed in conjunction with the administrative offices of Bladen Smart Start to provide resources such as educational toys, books, and manipulatives to providers, students, and parents)
• Early Childhood Professional Development (Project offers a cash incentive program and classes leading to associate or baccalaureate degrees for staff of Bladen child care facilities)
• WAGE$ (Project provides education-based salary supplements to teachers, directors and family child care providers working with children between the ages of 0-5)

Bladen Smart Start collaborates with many local organizations to furnish needed services to children and families. Below is a list of local service providers with which we partner:

• Bladen Community College
• Bladen County Department of Social Services •
• Bladen County Government
• Bladen County Health Department
• Bladen County Hospital
• Bladen County Library
• Bladen County Schools
• Bladen Family Support Initiative
• Head Start
• North Carolina Cooperative Extension - Bladen County Center
• Southeastern Child Care Resource and Referral