The Partnership

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The Partnership for Children of Wayne County, Inc. is a non-profit organization designed to provide programs and services for families and children in Wayne County, North Carolina. We build partnerships with families and the community to create a comprehensive system of early care and education. In doing so, our community leads the way in building a brighter future for all of North Carolina.

The Partnership for Children of Wayne County…

  • educates the community on the critical needs of young children and helps develop solutions.
  • administers Smart Start funds from the state legislature to support programs to benefit children ages 0-5 and their families.
  • administers the NC Pre-K Program, which is designed to provide at-risk four-year olds an opportunity for quality preschool education.
  • collaborates with community agencies and organizations
  • manages the Safe Kids-Wayne County Coalition along with other collaborating agencies to promote the prevention of accidental childhood injuries.

MISSION: The Partnership for Children unites the community to effectively support and empower families, prepares children to succeed in school and encourages continuous learning for educators of young children, therefore contributing to the economic vitality of Wayne County.

VISION: Children will receive the start they need to become educated, healthy, and self-reliant people who strengthen the social and economic future of Wayne County.

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Our Programs

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Child Care Resource (CCR)

Child Care Resource (CCR) provides professional development and training, technical assistance, data collection and analysis, and public awareness, all of which work to improve children’s access to quality child care and help ensure children have the early experiences they need.
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Child Care Search

Looking for Quality Child Care?

Looking for child care in Chatham, Harnett, Johnston, Lee or Wayne Counties in NC? You have come to the right place.

Child Care Search can help you find a child care program that meets your family’s needs.

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Child Care Subsidy

A child care subsidy assists parents in covering the cost of child care if they work and/or meet income eligibility or other specialized criteria. The Partnership must provide 40% of our total funding for this purpose. The children must be enrolled in a 4- or 5-star child care facility in order to qualify. The program is administered by the Wayne County Department of Social Services.
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Circle of Parents

Circle of Parents® provides a friendly, supportive environment facilitated by trained facilitators, but led by parents and other caregivers.  It’s a place where anyone in a parenting role can openly discuss the successes and challenges of raising children.  It’s a place where they can find and share support.
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Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Smart Start and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library are working together to get books into the hands of North Carolina’s youngest children.
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Early Learning Resource Center

The Partnership offers a lending library of toys, books, and games. These items are available for check-out with a $15 annual membership fee.
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Incredible Years

Incredible Years is a FREE 15-week minimum parenting program dedicated to supporting and strengthening families through play, praise, rewards, limit setting, communication, handling misbehaviors, and learning preventative approaches.
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NC Pre-K

The North Carolina Pre-K Program is a high-quality pre-k program that serves children who are at risk and prepares them for success in school. Pre-kindergarten is a research-proven strategy for school readiness.
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Parents As Teachers

Parents as Teachers (PAT) is a voluntary family education and support program for parents of young children. The program is based on the beliefs that parents are their children’s first and most influential teachers and that the early years lay the foundation for children’s success in school and in life.
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Safe Kids

Safe Kids Wayne County is dedicated to the prevention of accidental childhood injuries. The coalition couples public outreach and awareness efforts with hands-on educational activities for children and their families.
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Triple P-Positive Parenting Program

The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program is one of the most effective evidence-based parenting programs in the world, backed up by more than 35 years of ongoing research. Triple P gives parents simple and practical strategies to help them build strong, healthy relationships, confidently manage their children’s behavior and prevent problems developing.
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WAGE$ Salary Supplement

The Child Care WAGE$ project is an incentive program that supplements the salaries of child care providers who continue employment in the same work setting and acquire educational advancement.
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Training

The Partnership for Children of Wayne County offers many training opportunities for Child Care Providers that range from CPR to Fire Safety and from Drama Theatre Playtime to Getting Messy with Science.

TRAINING POLICIESFEBRUARY TRAINING CALENDAR 2026MARCH TRAINING CALENDAR 2026UPCOMING EVENTS & MEETINGSREGIONAL TRAINING CALENDAR

News and Events

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2026 NC Pre-K Site Selection

The Partnership for Children of Wayne County Date: 3/3/2026 NC Pre-K Standardized Site Selection Process   The NC Pre-K Standardized Site Selection Process is the state process used by the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) to approve child care facilities as potential future NC Pre-K sites. This process allows the…

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First 2000 Days Early Investment – A LIFETIME OF RESULTS

Why The First 2000 Days? There are only 2,000 days between the time a baby is born and when he or she will begin kindergarten. During that time brain architecture is forming, creating either a strong or weak foundation for all future learning. Child development is a dynamic, interactive process that is not predetermined. It occurs in…

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Resources

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  • DCDEE Provider Forms

    The NC Division of Child Development and Early Education website provides access to required provider forms.

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  • Regulated Child Care in NC

    Information about who is regulated by the Division of Child Development and Early Education and how you can get licensed.

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  • Finding Child Care

    Information on finding child care.

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  • ATTENTION! Early Childhood Providers

    Information on education-based salary supplements

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  • Cerebral Palsy Caregiver Resources

    Cerebral palsy resources for caregivers

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How To Apply

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How to Apply for NC Pre-K

Parents can find complete information about applying for NC Pre-K program, which is a high-quality pre-k program that serves children who are at risk and prepares them for success in school.


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How to Apply for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

Find out how your family can sign up for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which is a book gifting program for children from birth to age five. Help your child develop a love of reading early on.

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