The North Carolina Partnership for Children is the state-level, nonprofit organization that oversees North Carolina's innovative, award-winning Smart Start initiative. It administers funding to 75 local partnerships that operate as independent nonprofit organizations. Each local partnership is responsible for its own hiring process. Smart Start's mission: Advance a high quality, comprehensive, accountable system of care and education for each child beginning with a healthy birth. Smart Start's vision: Each child reaches his or her potential and is prepared for success in a global community. Experiences during early childhood literally shape the structure of the brain. Because today's children are tomorrow's leaders, parents and workers, everyone has a stake in making sure that all children have the experiences they need to thrive. Smart Start brings together all the people involved in a young child's life - families, teachers, doctors, caregivers, social workers, and many others - to ensure every child has all they need for healthy growth and development