Child Care Resource & Referral


This program, administered through Children's Services Network/McDowell Technical Community College, employs a full-time Referral Specialist who maintains a database of supply and demand for child care as well as providing referrals for parents seeking child care.  A full-time Early Childhood Specialist coordinates early childhood training events at the Early Childhood Resource Center (ECRC) and provides technical assistance to family child care providers, both prospective and those currently in business.  The ECRC, staffed by a part-time Early Childhood Specialist, provides a lending library of early childhood equipment, materials, and a workspace for teachers to create lesson plans, games and activities for young children. 


Professional Development Supplement

This program supports child care teachers and providers by providing a supplement based upon their current level of education and years of experience.  This program, administered by Children's Services Network/McDowell Technical Community College, helps to improve the quality of child care in McDowell County by encouraging teachers to pursue their education and therefore receive a higher professional development supplement. An application and submission of required documentation is requested from all applicants at the beginning of each year.


Quality Support Bonus

This project, administered through Children's Services Network/ McDowell Technical Community College, makes available monthly facility bonuses to licensed early childhood programs.  The bonus is based upon accrued quality points determined by the number of licensed points earned in Program and Education Standards determined by the North Carolina Division of Child Development  during the state child care licensing process.  Qualifying programs providing infant/toddler/two care receive additional funding to support the continued efforts to provide this level of care to families.  Payments are provided quarterly to licensed programs that have demonstrated a commitment to quality care identified by teacher/education and program standards.  An application process occurs once per year and programs must be in business the entire year or payment is terminated. 


McSmiles

This preschool program, administered through McDowell County Schools, provides a unique preschool experience on refurbished school buses by certified teachers and teacher assistants. The buses have the capacity to serve 168 - three and four year olds in McDowell County with one-hour-forty-minute/twice weekly mobile classrooms at eight sites. McSmiles uses the Brigance Preschool Screen to conduct needs assessments. The basic assessments provide a sampling of a child's learning; development and skills are assessed in key areas such as language, motor ability, number skills, body awareness, and visual discrimination. This activity supports families by creating access to high quality early childhood education programs in underserved communities.


Family Resource Programs: Part-Day Preschool

This program, administered through McDowell County Schools, has locations in North Cove and Glenwood. The centers provide learning opportunities for children and build on the family's capacity to help their children enter school "healthy and ready to learn."  North Cove center staff offer preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-old children with two groups five days a week. The Glenwood center serves 2-, 3-, and 4-year-olds in one four hour program three days each week and a second half-day program two days a week.  Preschool programs operate on a part-day basis for 10 months and continue with a limited two-week summer program.

Subsidy Activities:

Wait List Prevention

Administered by the McDowell County Department of Social Services, this activity was initiated to increase the number of qualifying families who are able to receive childcare subsidy and designed to reduce the number of families paying excessive percentages of income for childcare.


Quality Bonus Program

Administered by the Department of Social Services, this program makes available monthly bonuses to subsidized early childhood programs that have demonstrated a commitment to quality care by ensuring higher teacher education and licensure requirements.