Winston-Salem Transformational Childcare Relief Initiative
Smart Start of Forsyth County (SSFC) is proud to announce that the City of Winston-Salem has awarded the organization with a Transformational Grant for the Winston-Salem Transformational Childcare Relief Initiative, which will impact up hundreds of children, families, and family childcare providers in targeted areas in Winston-Salem. SSFC will focus on the opening and maintenance of closed and economically impacted, licensed family childcare homes and centers in Winston-Salem, NC.
Smart Start of Forsyth County has always played a vital role in supporting childcare programs to provide the highest quality early learning experience for our city’s early learners. As the need for high-quality infant toddler care in Winston-Salem continues, SSFC appreciates the city’s efforts to support this impactful endeavor to address infant/toddler care.
Through this initiative, Smart Start of Forsyth County will target communities identified as childcare deserts within the Qualified Census Tract that were directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic causing closures and loss of revenue.
What are the benefits?
Winston-Salem Transformational Childcare Relief Initiative will increase access to high quality infant toddler care and support, enhance the infant toddler workforce, and increase educators’ skills and knowledge around various training topics.
Through participation in this initiative, family childcare homes and centers will have access to:
- Early Childhood Coaches that will provide ongoing support and mentorship before, during, and after the implementation of the project
- Retention bonuses to teachers, per licensed child and family childcare center to maintain and attract qualified teaching staff
- One (1) Apple iPad Pro to access the Wonderschool platform
- Wonderschool – An online technology system platform to support the website and marketing support and enrollment processes for childcare, as well as:
- Event scheduling, customizable parent handbook, tuition billing and fee collection.
- Support parent/provider communication (photo and activity sharing, messaging, information about the child’s day, program updates and more).
- Library of resources on topics including marketing, leveraging and managing social media, sustainable business practices, working with children and families.
- Revenue and expense tracking, Access to economies of scale: discounted tax preparation services, liability insurance, payroll processing, ECE materials and more.
Interested in Participating?
If you are interested in applying for your childcare center, please complete the application below:
For more information, please get in touch with Glynnise Highsmith, Senior Director of Pre-K Initiatives, at glynniseh@smartstart-fc.org.