Smart Beginnings Danville-Pittsylvania County
The mission of Smart Beginnings Danville Pittsylvania is to strengthen the system of individuals and organizations educating children ages birth to eight.
“Success for All” Pilot Program Evaluation. Recognizing the need for an aggressive and immediate approach to address the declining third-grade literacy rates, Smart Beginnings developed and funded a two-year pilot program, “Success for All.” The targeted elementary school is serving more than five hundred children, most of whom live at or below the poverty level.
Smart Beginnings contracted RDCG to evaluate the “Success for All” Pilot Program Year 1 performance. During the evaluation, RDCG conducted focus group sessions with teachers and success specialists. Results were compiled and reported to Smart Beginnings to inform planning for Year 2 of the pilot program.
Drop-In Child Care Research. Access to part-time, affordable, and nonstandard hours (NSH) child care has been identified as a barrier to filling retail employment needs in the region. Smart Beginnings Danville Pittsylvania, in partnership with its workforce partners, engaged River District Consulting to research the “Drop & Play Child Care” concept as a possible solution to this issue.
RDCG identified, researched, and engaged drop-in child care providers – a combination of independent/locally-owned and franchise models (in Virginia and North Carolina), and national chain business models – in addition to state-wide child care experts. The study results will be used to understand and promote ownership interest to current child care owners and individuals with potential interest in providing flexible, part-time child care options.