News
"Better Together!" Meet Our Fiscal Year 2026 Partners
July 2025
Happy New Year! The fiscal new year, that is. When the calendar turns to July, Smart Start of Mecklenburg County (SSMC) resets the clock and welcomes new partnerships, while forging ahead with familiar partners in our combined mission that all children in Mecklenburg County turn five ready to thrive.
"I am thrilled to get to work with each of these organizations this fiscal year. There are so many pieces to the impact puzzle, and I am honored to be part of it. These teams are making lasting impressions in the community. I love being able to share their success stories and to advocate to NCPC how your agencies are trying to meet the needs of our kids and their families," said Natacha Duggins, SSMC's Program Director.
This year, SSMC will work with 17 partners and internal programs that provide support to children and their families in the prenatal to five-year-old space. Services offer assistance in health, family support, early care and education, and literacy.
"Smart Start is the HUB... the true connector in the community that nurtures relationships among programs that work in harmony to build stronger families," said Lizzie Carson, the Executive Director of The Learning Collaborative (TLC). "For TLC we have been able to build collaborations for the benefit of the children, families, and teaching staff with most of the Smart Start agencies. As we say at TLC... 'Better Together!'"
SSMC provides support to partners by investing in the early childhood community, collaborating and convening to improve the lives of young families, and drives innovation for the prenatal-to-five space.