The Guilford County Partnership for Children is a non-profit organization that invests state and private funds to address the needs of young children in Guilford County. The Partnership works with families and partners with other community organizations to provide access to high quality child care, to improve prenatal and child health, and to support and strengthen families of preschool children. Through its Smart Start and NC Pre-K Programs, the Partnership provides resources for other agencies to enhance community services that meet the needs of young children and empower their families. By investing in the lives of young children, the Partnership for Children strives to assure that all Guilford County Children enter school healthy, safe, and ready to succeed. The Guilford County Partnership for Children was founded in 1997 to provide the state's Smart Start program. Early efforts focused on identifying needs, coordinating services, and developing new resources to serve young children and their families. Planning and assessment of community programs have continued every year since then to assure that services are coordinated, meet the needs of a changing community, and take advantage of new opportunities. Today the Guilford County Partnership for Children supports a collaborative continuum of services that increase and maintain quality child care, provide education and support to families, and ensure that children have access to health services. Most of the Partnership's funding from the State is granted to non-profit and government organizations that have the knowledge and expertise to provide effective, evidence based programs that are sensitive to client need.