May 26, 2026
By Taylor McDonald, Senior Partnership Engagement Manager, and Elizabeth Fowler, Communications and Marketing Associate
“You cannot make people learn. You can only provide the right conditions for learning to happen.” -Vince Gowmon
Across the state, Partnerships for Children and Smart Start organizations are connecting families to community resources and programs that help children get a jump start into education and academics. Celebrating 30 years of service in their community, the Robeson County Partnership for Children is increasing accessibility and affordability of preschool and pre-k programs for community members through programs like NC Pre-K, and offering resources and activities rooted in the Protective Factors to strengthen families and the community.
As a part of the North Carolina Smart Start network, Robeson County Partnership for Children receives funding to provide assistance to qualifying families to help bridge the gap of the cost of childcare, and offer programs like the Seeds 4 Success, a program facilitating Kaleidoscope Play and Learn Groups for children birth to five years of age and their caregivers. The Robeson County Partnership for Children is also able to offer a Lending Library onsite, thanks to Smart Start funding, to provide books to children in the community to promote early learning and literature. Additionally, through Smart Start Funding, Robeson Partnership for Children collaborates with Early Years NC to offer the Wage$ program in Robeson County.
Thanks to other funding sources, the Robeson County Partnership for Children also runs the only children’s museum in Robeson County, Exploration Station, designed for children ages 0-9 to come play and learn. Robeson County Partnership for Children serves as the administrator in their county for the NC Pre-K Program, connecting families with high quality, affordable early education. Additionally, Robeson County Partnership for Children partners with ROAR (Robeson Overcoming Adversity Through Resilience), a committed group of stakeholders meeting monthly to learn, partner, and help grow resilience in the community by focusing on the 5 Protective Factors to buffer the impact of ACEs.
Just last year, the Robeson County Partnership for Children team co-authored a bilingual book, titled “Hello Robeson County,” designed for early childhood engagement with literature. Stacie Kinlaw, Community Engagement Assistant Director at Robeson County Partnership for Children, said, “Creating ‘Hello Robeson County’ was such a meaningful opportunity for our community engagement team because it allowed us to celebrate the families, faces, and places that make our community special while encouraging early literacy from the very beginning.” Kinlaw continued, “Through partnerships with pediatric offices, early childhood classrooms, hospitals, and family-serving organizations, the book has helped us expand our outreach in ways a traditional brochure never could. It’s a beautiful story families want to read together, while also connecting them to resources and programs that support their children’s growth and development. We’ve started saying, ‘Who needs a brochure when you can write a book?'”
As Robeson County Partnership for Children looks ahead into their next 30 years of service in their community, Executive Director Jessica Lowery Clark, PhD, stated, “At Robeson County Partnership for Children, we strive to reach every child and family where they are. We always work towards continuous improvement, to ensure we are providing resources and services that are meaningful in today’s environment.” She continued, “I am very proud of the work on my team at the partnership. Each team member adds value and strength, and we work well together in serving our community.”
Learn more about the Robeson County Partnership for Children on their website and Facebook.