In The News
Friday, August 28, Burlington Times News
Your Reaction To Bad Behavior Is Important, Too
Written By: Angela Kalo, Outreach Specialist for the Alamance Partnership for Children
Friday, October 11, Burlington Times News
READ READ READ: It’s Never Too Early To Read To Your Children
Written By: Angela Kalo, Outreach Specialist for the Alamance Partnership for Children and Ruthanne Saunders, Literacy Specialist for the Alamance Partnership for Children.
More Alamance County Children In Quality Care
Smart Start data shows continued improvement in child care quality
Burlington, NC— The New Year starts with good news for parents in Alamance County. According to new data released by The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC), more families with young children have access to, and are participating in, high quality child care programs in Alamance County.NCPC leads the state Smart Start program and evaluates local and statewide progress annually. The latest data shows that Smart Start continues to improve the quality of child care in Alamance County, thanks to the efforts of the Alamance County Partnership for Children, the Smart Start agency in Alamance County.
The number of Alamance County children enrolled in high quality child care (programs with 4 or 5 stars) has increased 80% since 2001, reflecting an improvement in child care quality and an increase in the number of children enrolled in high quality programs. Currently, almost half (49%) of all Alamance County children in child care are enrolled in the highest quality programs.
“This is really great news for the children of Alamance County,” stated NCPC President Stephanie Fanjul. “Not only are young children experiencing improved care, but families seeking child care are better able to find high quality programs.” The Alamance Partnership for Children actively works with child care programs throughout the county to improve the quality of child care by assessing center quality, recommending changes where needed, and helping child care teachers continue their education.
Cindy Watkins, Executive Director for the Alamance Partnership for Children, stated “More progress was made in 2007 than in any other year in terms of raising the quality of child care in Alamance County. This clearly shows the dedication and commitment of everyone involved with the child care industry, especially the child care workers in this county. We are excited about the future and about our continued partnership with these dedicated professionals.”
The data released in December is part of NCPC’s annual assessment of Smart Start progress. Collected annually since 2001, this data reflects continuous statewide improvement in child well-being. Smart Start is North Carolina’s early childhood leadership network dedicated to assuring that every child reaches his or her potential and is prepared for success in a globally competitive world. For more information, visit www.ncsmartstart.org.
Family Friendly Employers Recognized
Second Annual Awards Luncheon Honors Alamance Employers
Burlington, NC – Paula Jeffers with Alamance Regional Medical Center (ARMC) appreciates the family friendly policies at her workplace. "I love that Alamance Regional provides child care when my kids’ school is closed due to inclement weather. The schedules here are great and very accommodating to parents who want to be involved with their children’s extracurricular activities." 
Paula’s employer is part of a growing number of companies that are reaping the rewards of family friendly policies. Although the benefits for the individual employee are obvious, there are tangible incentives for companies as well. Along with higher productivity and reduced absenteeism, employers with family friendly policies benefit from higher retention rates. With the pool of talented workers shrinking every year due to the retirement of the baby boomers, companies must find alternate ways to hire and retain key employees.
Alamance Regional Medical Center is among eight area companies that were honored as Alamance County Family Friendly Employers on Tuesday, February 5th at The Cutting Board in Burlington. The following organizations received the Alamance County Family Friendly Employer Award: Acucote, Inc.; Alamance Regional Medical Center; Burlington Housing Authority; Carolina Biological Supply Company; Elon Universtiy; Laboratory Corporation of America; Sports Endeavors; and Wachovia.
To qualify as a Family Friendly Employer, companies were evaluated in several categories including Family and Dependent Care; Work Schedule Flexibility; Family Health and Wellness; Financial and Educational Assistance; and Community Involvement. Some of the programs currently offered by this year’s honorees include inclement weather child care, flexible work schedules, gym memberships, child care assistance, and scholarships for dependents.
Paula Jeffers points out that there is more to job satisfaction than salary alone. "Benefits are important. Although a competitive salary is necessary, benefits are really what sets one employer apart from another."
To promote family friendly initiatives, the Family Friendly Employer award program was created through a joint effort by the Alamance County Human Resource Association, the Alamance County Chamber of Commerce, and the Alamance Partnership for Children.
1206-A Vaughn Road Burlington, NC 27217 PO Box 2243 Burlington, NC 27216 Phone 336.513.0063 Fax 336.226.1152