Last week, parents, business leaders, faith community leaders and Partnership Board members traveled to the North Carolina General Assembly as part of Smart Start’s statewide “Tuesdays for Tots” initiative.

The constituents met with the Region A legislative delegation and asked members to restore funding to Smart Start. In 2011, Smart Start funding was reduced by 20 percent ($37.6 million), disproportionately more than any other component of the education system. As a result thousands of children are no longer benefiting from much-needed early childhood programs.

“There are only 2,000 days between the time a baby is born and when that child shows up for the first day of kindergarten,” said Larry Hinton, Region A Partnership for Children Board Chair and General Manager of Andy Shaw Ford in ...