News

Renewal of Hope

May 2022

For the past couple of years, readers of newsletters like these have been accustomed to the doom and gloom opening letter. Let's face it; there hasn't been a lot of good stuff to talk about. The yo-yo nature of the pandemic has cruelly manipulated hope, while the economic rebound has felt flat for some and non-existent for most. Oh, and then there is inflation, lack of affordable housing, war, supply chain issues, and on and on. You get the point.

What if we expanded the metaphor of the spring season and the concept of renewal to some good things going on in our County as it relates to Early Childhood? More and more children are receiving access to high-quality public Pre-K, more early childhood organizations are receiving funding to help drive tactical and strategic change, and millions of ARPA dollars have been appropriated by the County to early childhood-focused organizations.

I am not trying to dismiss the devastation our country, state, and county have felt due to the onslaught of adversity over the past couple of years. However, there is hope because individuals and organizations have stepped up to fight for children and families. We at Smart Start of Mecklenburg County are proud to serve alongside organizations and Innovation Grant Recipients committed to improving the lives of ALL families with young children.  


Jake House | CEO