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State Profiles
North Carolina
North Carolina has been a model state for early education, particularly in expanding the availability, affordability, and quality of early childhood programs and integrating pre-k and comprehensive early education services in an innovative way.
The North Carolina More at Four pre-k program was established in 2001-2002 as one of the key education initiatives of Governor Mike Easley's administration and later reinforced by a court ruling that the state should provide pre-k for all at-risk four year olds. Governor Easley has supported and won funding increases for the program in each year in office.
Smart Start, created by former Governor Jim Hunt, is the state's comprehensive early childhood program serving families with children age birth to five. Although its funding has decreased in the last few years, Smart Start strives to provide local infrastructure for early care and education. As part of this broad-based function, the program provides health education and screening, works to improve childcare facilities, and provides subsidies to working families for high-quality childcare. Local Smart Start Partnerships manage the program at the county/regional level, helping to ensure that it builds on the existing childcare system.
The North Carolina Partnership for Children, a private, nonprofit organization was created by the legislature, to administer the programs in coordination with the Division of Child Development in the state Department of Health and Human Services.
Key Milestones
| 1993 |
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The Legislature establishes Smart Start and appropriates $20 million. The Partnership for Children and the Division of Child Development are also established. Governor Hunt announces selection of 12 "pioneer" partnerships representing 18 counties. |
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| 1997 |
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Governor Hunt requests planning funds for the remaining 45 counties without Smart Start. For the first time, every county receives Smart Start funding. |
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| 2001 |
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Governor Easley establishes the More at Four pre-k program with an initial goal of serving 1,200 children. The National Smart Start Technical Assistance Center is established through national foundation grants. |
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| 2003 |
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Smart Start private support tops $200 million. Fourteen states use Smart Start as their model for early education programs. The Smart Start appropriation is $190 million. |
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| 2002-05 |
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More at Four expands to serve over 12,000 children. |
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| 2005 |
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The Office of School Readiness is established to provide greater oversight and management for More at Four and related early childhood services. A new state lottery is implemented with anticipated revenues of $1 billion, 35 percent of which are earmarked for state education programs including pre-k. Bills are introduced in the House and Senate to expand Smart Start funding, and More at Four receives a funding increase of over 30 percent.
Pre-K Now releases a first-ever statewide poll regarding early care and education in North Carolina. This bi-partisan poll shows strong support throughout the state for pre-k and Smart Start. |
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| 2006 |
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More at Four funding reaches $84.6 million, and Smart Start public contributions top $200 million. |
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| 2007 |
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More at Four is one of only two pre-k programs nationwide that meets all ten quality benchmarks outlined by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER).
Governor Easley boldly proposes an additional $59.3 million for the More at Four program. When the proposal gets caught up in legislative budget negotiations, Easley issues an executive order for the state budet office to release the funds, allowing the state to serve an additional 10,000 children. The state legislature votes to include children of active duty military personnel, members of the National Guard, or a reserve unit who have been injured, killed or ordered to active duty as eligible to participate in the More at Four program. |
Pre-K Champions
Governor Mike Easley has made pre-k a top priority in his economic development strategy. Despite budget challenges, Easley continues to work to implement and increase funding for More at Four.
Former Governor Jim Hunt is a nationally recognized leader in education. His focus on early education helped North Carolina improve test scores more than any other state during the 1990s, according to the Rand Corporation. Hunt continues to work with current and emerging political, business, and education leaders on a national level to improve public education.
Next Steps for North Carolina
Early care and education advocates are working to secure the funding and support necessary to achieve several long-term goals, including:
- working to help all pre-k teachers earn at least a two-year degree;
- ensuring that all pre-k teachers are paid adequate wages with benefits;
- ensuring that parents have the knowledge and resources they need to support their children in the earliest years; and
- further expand pre-k availability and eligbility until all children have access to high quality pre-k.
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Meeting the Challenge of Rural Pre-K
Families everywhere stuggle to find high-quality pre-k programs for their children, but the problem is even more acute in rural areas. Pre-K Now has come out with recommendations for federal policymakers to help states meet the unique challenges of rural pre-k.
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Follow Pre-K's Progress Across the Nation
Our maps track the availability and quality of pre-k and the political environment surrounding the issue in each state and Washington, D.C.
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Find High-Quality Pre-K
With Our Checklist
Quality is key to unlocking pre-k's many benefits. Learn what to ask about and look for when choosing a pre-k program for your child.
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Tour a Pre-K Classroom
Our virtual classroom tour will help you recognize the features of a high-quality pre-k and understand why they make a difference.
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