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✓ North Carolina Partnership for Children <br /> ($600,000 in 1993-'94, $600,000 in 1994-'95) <br /> The Governor's initiative would establish a nonprofit public-private partnership to create a vision <br /> for the quality of life of children in North Carolina and to map out a comprehensive blueprint for <br /> improving early childhood education, health care, and other crucial services. The partnership <br /> would bring together North Carolina leaders—from business, government, education, churches, <br /> nonprofits, communities and children and family advocacy groups—outside the framework of <br /> government to develop a collaborative strategy to serve children and families. It would be a <br /> catalyst for bold change in communities through local, nonprofit public-private partnerships. <br /> The partnership would: <br /> D create a statewide vision for children. <br /> D map out a comprehensive blueprint of services for children. <br /> develop benchmarks for specific, measurable performance. <br /> • seek applications from interested counties to serve as demonstration partnerships. <br /> D showcase existing programs that promote collaboration and quality of services. <br /> • mobilize public support for change. <br /> a recommend 12 initial partnerships from among the applications (one in each <br /> Congressional district) based on recommendations from a panel of early childhood <br /> experts. An additional eight partnerships would be recommended beginning 1994-'95. <br /> The remaining 80 counties would be phased in over the next few years. <br /> - monitor and hold local partnerships accountable for quality services. <br /> a report to the General Assembly in April 1994 and March 1995 on the progress of the <br /> initiative and recommend a process for future expansion statewide. <br /> ✓ Local Partnerships for Children <br /> ($19.4 million in 1993-'94, $39.4 million in 1994-'95) <br /> Local partnerships would receive funds to develop comprehensive early childhood programs <br /> tailored to the individual needs and resources of their communities. The bulk of the money <br /> provided to local partnerships would go toward direct services to children and families: <br /> funding child development services: developmentally appropriate child care services, <br /> parenting education programs, home visits to help families, start-up funding to meet <br /> building code and licensing standards, quality enhancement of existing services, technical <br /> assistance, technology-based and other innovative educational enrichment efforts. <br /> ➢ raising the subsidy rate received by child care centers to a statewide "market rate" that <br /> more closely reflects actual cost of quality services. <br /> > expanding eligibility for subsidies to reach more families. The income ceiling for <br /> eligibility would be raised from its current level of$18,000. <br /> Local efforts would be tied to quality and accountability. An evaluation system would be <br /> developed to assure quality and performance. <br /> Local commitment and involvement, both financially and strategically, would be required. Each <br /> county would bring public and private interests together to develop a plan for all children who <br /> need services, using both existing resources and new resources. <br /> 3 <br />