There are times as parents when you don’t have the answers and you don’t know where to turn. Here are a few useful resources to give parents a helping hand:

Child Care Referral

Nearly 130 licensed child care providers serve Moore County. Child Care Connections can help working families take the guesswork out of finding child care. Services are provided free of charge. For more information, call (910) 692-6123, (877) 696-3005 or visit www.childcareconnections.org.

Department of Social Services

The Department of Social Services also offers a child ­day-care coordination program. In ­addition, DSS may also ­determine ­eligibility for Smart Start Day Care funds.

DSS may be reached at (910) 947-2436. 

Head Start

The Moore County Head Start Program is headquartered at 105 Clark St., Carthage, and may be reached by calling (910) 947-2652 or (910) 947-5422. Taylortown Head Start may be reached at (910) 295-5437, Aberdeen at (910) 944-0457, Vass at (910) 245-3883 and Southern Pines at (910) 692-4588.

Health Fair

The Moore County Children’s Fun Health Fair is a nonprofit, collaborative event ­composed of free comprehensive ­screenings covering development, speech, vision, ­hearing, ­dental, health and nutrition for ­children from birth through age 4.

Referrals and assessments are made to help assure that ­children are healthy and prepared to succeed when they enter school. 

The fair is held at several locations in February and March of each year. For more information or dates, call Sandhills Children’s Center at (910) 692-3323.

Learning Centers

• Achiever’s Education Center (910) 693-3377
• Cyber Ed, (910) 246-2211
• Sylvan Learning Center, (910) 944-0555

Other Resources

Several private child care centers and providers are listed in area directories.

Also, check out the listings of support groups for parents on pages 68, 69 and 70 of this guide.

Partners for Children and Families of Moore County

Partners for Children and Families of Moore County ­administers the Smart Start funding, programs and services in Moore County.

Smart Start is North Carolina’s nationally recognized and award-winning early childhood initiative designed to ensure that young children enter school healthy and ready to succeed. Smart Start funds are used to improve the quality of child care, make child care more affordable and accessible, provide access to health services and offer family support.

To learn about the services available, ­contact Partners for Children and Families, 7720 N.C. 22, Suite C, Carthage, at (910) 949-4045  or e-mail pfcfmoore @dsslink.net.