Smart Beginnings

Smart Beginnings is the regional initiative for early childhood development. It is led by a regional leadership council and staffed by United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg and the Greater Richmond Chamber.

Smart Beginnings, in partnership with the Petersburg Alliance for Children and Families (PACF) and with additional funding from the Cameron Foundation, provided assistance to improve the standards of early quality care to nearly 70% of the licensed child care centers within the City of Petersburg through the Petersburg Accreditation Pilot Project (PAPP). This community wide effort is moving the needle from custodial care towards increased developmental and quality care. A change in philosophy and practices has opened the lines of communication between our local public school system (Headstart and Pre-K), our Child Care Center PAPP participants, and parents. In addition to working towards national accreditation, these groups are emphasizing the need for improved school readiness for all children in the City of Petersburg.