On Thursday, former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt and Davidson County Representative Hugh Holliman visited Smart Start of Davidson County for a progress update about the School Readiness program. The program brings educators into children’s homes to help them build skills they need to succeed in school. Superintendents from the three local school systems were in attendance as they collaborate with Smart Start to provide the program.

Smart Start’s School Readiness program is a local version of Parents as Teachers, a national program that offers information, support, and encouragement to parents with young children to promote children’s healthy growth and development. The program brings school readiness educators like Bleasha Carroll into family’s homes to teach learning games and activities that develop the fine motor, gross motor, social-emotional, language, and cognitive skills children need to thrive in school.

Here’s some of what was said to a reporter from The Dispatch:

“I certainly appreciate the job that you’re all doing,” Holliman said to the Smart Start staff. “We think early childhood education is one of the best ways to get kids ready before they start school.”

Edna Amos is a school readiness specialist with Thomasville City Schools. “I am a lover of Smart Start,” she said. “We do believe that no matter what walks of life you are from, the core of every parent wants the best for their child.”

“I’m very proud of Smart Start. These are our children, the parent’s children, the community’s children and God’s children,” Hunt said. “We’ve just got to do a lot more. This works, this helps make our schools work. I am so proud of all you do in Davidson County.”

Read the article in The Dispatch.