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05 <br />aooK 15 PlAu 340 <br />WHEREAS, 20% of North Carolina children under the age of six <br />live in poverty; and <br />WHEREAS, Governor Jim Hunt proposed a comprehensive initiative <br />called "Smart Start" which has three long range goals: <br />(a) Early Childhood Education and Child Care will be <br />available to every child who needs them; <br />(b) Recognizing that healthy nurturing families are the <br />foundation of positive child development and growth, <br />families will receive needed support and family- <br />centered services to help insure the healthy, caring <br />development of their children; <br />(c) Early childhood programs and family services will <br />meet high-quality standards and performance measures; <br />and <br />WHEREAS, the North Carolina General Assembly has approved <br />funding for twelve demonstration counties to participate in "Smart <br />Start"; and <br />WHEREAS, "Smart Start" funds are intended to serve as an <br />incentive, as "seed money", for counties to develop integrated and <br />comprehensive systems for delivering services and improving the <br />quality of life for young children and their families; <br />NOW, THEREFORE, Be it Resolved by the Board of Commissioners for <br />the County of Lee as follows: <br />(1) That it endorses the concept of "Smart Start" and its <br />goal to provide every child in North Carolina with access to <br />affordable, high quality early childhood education, and other crucial <br />services. <br />(2) That it directs all departments and agencies of Lee <br />County to commit themselves to seek innovative ways to capitalize <br />upon existing resources more effectively and to find the best uses <br />for the new funds under the "Smart Start" program. <br />Upon a vote, the results were as follows: <br />Aye: Dossenbach, Garner, Matthews, Paschal, Reives, Stafford <br />and Wicker <br />Nay: None <br />The Chairman ruled the motion had been adopted unanimously. <br />5 <br />