How did Smart Start begin?

In 1999, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta and the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation recognized a need in Georgia for quality, affordable child care that was accessible to everyone.  The state of Georgia also recognized this need and joined the collaboration.  Committed groups from the early care and education community, state agencies, and the business community came together to develop a series of recommendations for improving the state of early care and education in Georgia.  These recommendations evolved into what is now known as the four Smart Start programs. 
  

Why did the Georgia Early Learning Initiative change its name to Smart Start?

After reviewing the organization's perception throughout the state, we found the Georgia Earlyl Learning Initiative was confusing to some of our constituents.  To be more attuned to the program's mission, we changed its name to reflect the outcome of our initiatives --- which provide a "smart start" for all of Georgia's children. 

What does Smart Start do?

Smart Start develops quality resources, commitments and partnerships between child care providers, government and business leaders to improve the quality of the early care and education options available to Georgia's children.

Since its inception, Smart Start has successfully:

•  Increased the number of centers accredited by the National Association for
   the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) by more than 250 since 1999,
   enhancing the quality of early learning experiences for more than 25,000
   children.  As of Sept 2008, there are only 287 NAEYC accredited centers
   in the state of GA.
•  Increased the knowledge of more than 13,000 child care teachers through
   professional development.
•  Added more than 3,500 high-quality child care spaces for those children at
   greatest risk in our community.
•  Provided training and technical assistance to more than 310 home-based
   child care programs and 625 child care centers.
•  Built over 200 outdoor learning environments through our playground initiative.
•  Reached, with it programs, over 250,000 children, their families and the
   communities in which they live.

Smart Start uses best-practice & research to inform their programs and initiatives:

Quality Matters - 3 and 4 year olds whom attend a high-quality preschool succeed at a higher rate in kindergarten and beyond........(National Institute for Early Education Research).

Literacy is Key - Essential pre-literacy skills are oral language development, print awareness, and phonological awareness........(Research Foundation:  Scholastic Early Childhood Program).

Parent & Community Engagement makes a difference - Families and communities play a critical role in helping children get ready for school........(National School Readiness Indicators Initiative).

Public Policy must be addressed - Improving access to affordable quality child care, expanding pre-K to 3-year olds, and examining the economic benefits of child care are all important policy issues that need to be driven by best-and-promising practice.

Collaborating with Partners to increase Impact - Proactively seeking opportunities to work with those in, and outside, of the Early Childhood field to advance a common agenda.

What are the programs of Smart Start? 

Metro Atlanta Programs:

•  Born Learning  Helps parents, caregivers, and communities provide early
   learning opportunities for young children.
•  Early Learning Community Based Partnerships (ELCBP)  An Early
   Learning Commission initiative that ensures that children are ready for school
   by developing strategic community partnerships.
•  Early Learning Property Management (ELPM)  Finds, secures,renovates,
   re-zones, and leases safe, adequate early education facilities for use by
   worthy child service providers.
•  Early Reading First (ERF)  Designed to transform existing early education
   programs into centers of excellence through three grants: DREAM, READERS,
   and LIGHT.
•  Georgia parents as Teachers Network (GA-PATN)  The statewide voice
   for PAT (Parents as Teachers) programs in Georgia.
•  Parent Engagement and Policy Initiative (PEPI) - Establishes school
   success through products and policies designed to sustain and scale-up
   home visiting, school transitions, and parent leadership strategies.
•  Play Smart  Helps Georgia child care facilities create high quality outdoor play
   spaces for young children.
•  SPARK Georgia  Kellogg's initiative for school readiness that seeks seamless
   transition into school for children (ages three through six) who are at risk for
   not being ready to start school.

Metro and Statewide Programs:   

•  The Smart Start Early Education Substitute Teacher Program (EESTP)
   Trains and supports individuals wishing to become early childcare and
   education substitute teachers in Georgia.
•  Get Ready to Read (GRTR!)  An early literacy program designed to help
   early education and child care professionals, parents, and other caregivers,
   ensure that young children are equipped with the fundamental skills
   necessary for learning to read.
•  Training and Technical Assistance  Training and Technical Assistance
   for centers and home providers in selected counties that are striving
   for excellence.

Smart Start's staff includes:
 
           Sharen Hausmann, Vice-President of Early Learning

            Oleatha Warthen, Assistant to the Vice-President

            Cori Cain, Senior Director of Smart Start

            Katrina Mitchell, Senior Director of Early Reading First

            Charmaine Godley, Director of Get Ready to Read! Southeast 
            Regional Center

            Magdalena Perez, Administrative Coordinator, GRTR!
            
            Hollie Pavloff, Director of Early Education Substitute Teacher Program

            Monique Baldwin, Administrative Coordinator, EESTP

            Andrea Irvin, Project Manager of Early Learning Community Based
            Partnerships 

            Laura Miller, Project Manager of Early Learning Community Based 
            Partnerships 
 
            Cheryl Smith, Administrative Manager 
 
            Allison Travis, Administrative Coordinator, Data / Web

Smart Start's ERF staff includes:

            Helen McCroskey, ERF Project Director, READERS

            Tawanda Braswell, ERF Literacy Coach, READERS

            Emily Gilead, ERF Literacy Coach, READERS

            Tameka Smalls, ERF Literacy Coach, READERS

            Leah Austin, ERF Project Director, LIGHT

            Jilo Tisdale, Family Literacy & School Transition Coordinator, LIGHT 

            Barb McWethy, ERF Coach, LIGHT

            Kimberly Hyler, ERF Coach, LIGHT

            Elizabeth Clarkson, ERF Coach, LIGHT
 
            Angelle Cooper, Professional Development Manager, ERF