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Cabarrus Partnership for Children
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Early Childhood Education/Teachers

Higher education for directors, teachers and family child care home providers is a very high priority for the Partnership! woman at computer


A major goal of the Cabarrus Partnership for Children is to improve the quality of early education, so that children receive education and child care that is healthy, safe, meets their social, physical and intellectual developmental needs and prepares them to enter school able to succeed.

Improving teacher education is a key strategy in meeting that goal!

These are activities that assist our teachers and directors:

Smart Start Professional Development Incentive

PDI program is designed to provide incentives to child care providers and directors who are continuing their education and stay employed at the same center for at least 6 months. Incentives are rewarded twice a year to teachers and directors who work in Cabarrus County child care centers or child care homes and meet all the eligibility requirements.

Professional Development Incentive (PDI) due dates:

  • 1st Quarter – September 15, 2008
  • 2nd Quarter: December 15, 2008
  • 3rd Quarter: March 13, 2009
  • 4th Quarter: June 13, 2008 / June 15, 2009

Qualifications for PDI Program

  • The applicant must work at least six months in the same child care program in Cabarrus County and be employed in the same child care program at the time of application and payment.
  • Applicant must earn below $14.60 per hour if they are a teacher, assistant teacher, aide, or floater.  Assistant directors and directors must earn below $19.00 per hour.
  • The applicant must have at least six semester hours of college credit in ECE/CD above the credential level.
  • Applicant must have received a grade of a “C” or better to obtain credit for the class in the program.
  • Applicant must work directly with children under the age of 5. Applicants must be employed by the center at least 30 hours per week to qualify for the full incentive amount.  Applicants who are employed at least 15-29 hours per week will qualify for half of the annual incentive.  This time in the center must be spent directly working with children and your time must be verified by someone in a higher supervisory position than the applicant (ie: director, board chair, pastor)

PDI - Are You Eligible?

Application Instructions

  1. Complete the Student Intake Formpdficon. Make sure all the questions are answered.
  2. Complete the Applicationpdficon . Make sure all the questions are answered and the application is signed by you and your supervisor verifying all information.
  3. Use the checklist on the application to ensure you have attached all required documentation.
  4. Read the Individual Grant Agreementpdficon . Please print your name in the blank under #1. On the back, please sign, date, and fill in your social security number, address, and phone number. You will do this on both copies . Once we have signed both agreements, we will mail one original back to you.
  5. Complete name, address, city, state, zip code, social security number, and sign/date the W-9 formpdficon .
  6. Remember to include:
    • Copy of most recent pay stub
    • Copy of most recent transcripts
  7. Return the complete application packet to the address above by the specified due date.
  8. Home child care providers, please download also:

Boy building with blocks at Logan

Smart Start Higher Education Advisor

Karen Stewart is the Higher Education Advisor for the Cabarrus Partnership for Children. Contact her at kstewart@ctc.net or by phone at 704-262-3683 x108.

Smart Start Higher Education Resource Center

The Partnership has developed a state-of-the-art computer resource center to assist teachers and directors with their education, Limary Mullinax can assist students to prepare for end enroll in on-line college courses, improve their computer skills, work on their class assignments using the computer for research and writing. Contact Limary at limullinax@ctc.net or at 704-262-3683 x 105.

Cabarrus Partnership is offering workshops beginning in April to get people prepared for online classes. You will be able to take "pretend" quizzes and complete assignments; you will also be able to write on the discussion boards and send emails. This workshop is a great opportunity to "try" an online class before actually registering for one. No grading involved and is is free!

Workshop Schedules

Higher Education Resource Center documents

These documents can be downloaded from this website.

Smart Start Training and Technical Assistance

CCRI Early Childhood Specialists provide technical assistance to all regulated centers who request assistance; provide support to 3-4-5 star centers due for license renewal on quality maintenance; assist centers to improve their star ratings. CCRI also offers workshops for teachers monthly. Call Christina Castile at 704-786-1023 or e-mail ccastile@childcareresourcesinc.org

Smart Start Mobile Resource Van

Teachers are eligible to borrow books and educational materials for their own professional development and for their classrooms. The van visits centers and community sites on a regular monthly schedule. A copy is inside this newsletter. Jennifer Perella is the Early Childhood Specialist with CCRI who leads this activity. Call Jenny at 704-786-1023 or by e-mail at jperella@childcareresourcesinc.org.

Smart Start Child Care Health Consultants

Child Care Health Consultants are specially trained public health nurses from the Cabarrus Health Alliance who visit all of our child care centers, family child care homes and More at Four classrooms. They provide a variety of health services and teach workshops regularly at centers and the Partnership. The training calendar for July, August and September is inside this newsletter. They also teach the state’s required Infant/Toddler Safe Sleep Curriculum and can assist with policies and procedures for infant care, medications, emergency care, chronic health illnesses, etc.

Call Anita Sweeney at 704-920-1133

e-mail: amsweeney@cabarrushealth.org

Child Care Resources Inc. Regional Activities

Child Care Resources Inc. has four additional activities available to assist Cabarrus early childhood programs funded by the Division of Child Development’s Region 7 grant:

  • Infant/Toddler Specialist – contact Loraine Barker-Witkowski at 704-376-6697
  • Behavior Specialists – contact Debbie Johnson, Erin Bracy or Laura Murphy at CCRI, 704-376-6697
  • School-Age Specialist – contact Michelle Inhofer at 704-376-6697
  • Cabarrus Early Childhood Specialist – contact Devonya Govan at 704-786-1023 or at dgovan@childcareresourcesinc.org

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Project

Comprehensive scholarships help pay the cost of tuition, books and travel, may insure paid release time, require compensation incentives and encourage retention for child care providers working on a credential or degree in early childhood education or child development.   

Smart Start Inclusion Specialists

Teachers can receive help with classroom challenges. The goal of the Inclusion Specialists from Thompson Child and Family Focus is to work with teachers and parents to address and resolve problems to enable children to remain successfully enrolled in school. Call Rita Crawford at 704-536-0375 or e-mail at RCrawford@Thompsoncff.org
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