Building strong early literacy skills is essential to a child’s success in school and in life. Through the work of Smart Start, children and families across North Carolina have access to proven, evidence-based programs that support language development from birth. Because the earliest years are critical for brain development, Smart Start invests in initiatives that help families create literacy-rich environments and build meaningful reading routines at home.



Smart Start partners with nationally recognized programs such as Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Raising a Reader, and other family-centered literacy models to ensure children have access to books and positive early learning experiences. These programs not only provide books directly to children, but also equip parents and caregivers with tools and strategies to support early language development and daily reading habits.

By strengthening early literacy from the start, Smart Start helps more children enter school ready to learn, setting the foundation for long-term academic achievement and a strong future workforce.