Alliance for Children is a children’s welfare organization in Union County, North Carolina. The organization primarily acts as a distributor of funds in support of pre-Kindergarten and other early childhood programs in Union County.

The organization is a member of the Smart Start network, an organization that is administered by the North Carolina Partnership for Children. The organization has worked in the past with the left-of-center advocacy organization MomsRising creating guides that could be used to recruit families to utilize their services. ¹

The organization is a public-private partnership. It receives funds from the state of North Carolina which it distributes to providers of pre-K and early childhood programs in Union County. But the organization also relies on donations from the private sector to meet its needs. ²

Background

The Alliance or Children is a children’s welfare and advocacy organization that works in the Union County, North Carolina which is in the Charlotte, North Carolina metropolitan area. The organization primarily acts as a distributor of state and private funds in support of pre-K and other early childhood programs in the county. ³

While the organization is a supporter of pre-K programs, it is not a provider of pre-K services. Instead, it provides the funding for pre-K programs that are independently owned and provided. ⁴

Among the programs that the organization funds are a program that help childcare workers take college credit courses at no cost. The purpose of the program is to reduce turnover in the childcare industry. ⁵

The organization also provides parenting training to help strengthen parenting skills. The program teaches children to identify inappropriate touching as a deterrent to child sexual abuse. ⁶

The organization provides a lending library for toys and educational games that are available to childcare institutions. It also helps provide resources to help families locate affordable childcare. It also helps childcare facilities improve their program quality and licensure rating. ⁷

The organization advocates in the community on the importance of early childhood education and pre-K programs. It also advocates on how meeting the health and education needs of very young children is important to the economic development and quality of life of Union County. ⁸

Membership in Smart Start Network

Alliance for Children serves as the Union County affiliate of the Smart Start network. The network is administered by the North Carolina Partnership for Children. The network has collaborated with the left-of-center advocacy organization MomsRising to create pamphlets that could be used to recruit families to utilize its programs. ⁹

Leadership

Linda Smith is the executive director of Alliance for Children. ¹⁰

Funding

According to its 2022 tax returns, Alliance for Children received $4,085,377 in revenue and reported $4,036,837 in expenses. It had $442,294 in assets. ¹¹

The organization exists as a public-private partnership. It receives funds from the state of North Carolina but it also relies on private and corporate donations to meet all of its needs. ¹²

As a part of its annual fundraising, it hosts the annual Christmas parade in Union County. The fundraiser encourages companies and others who want to participate in the parade to give money to the organization. ¹³

1. “Taking Action: Smart Start & Moms Rising.” Smart Start & The North Carolina Partnership for Children . Accessed June 12, 2023. https://www.smartstart.org/family-engagement-and-leadership/taking-action/#:~:text=MomsRising%2C%20in%20collaboration%20with%20the%20North%20Carolina%20Partnership,think%20through%20and%20address%20challenges%20that%20may%20arise.
2. “FAQ.” The Alliance For Children. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://theallianceforchildren.org/about/faqs/.
3. “About.” The Alliance For Children. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://theallianceforchildren.org/about/.
4.  “FAQ.” The Alliance For Children. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://theallianceforchildren.org/about/faqs/.
5.  “Providers.” The Alliance For Children. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://theallianceforchildren.org/providers/#programs.
6.  “Providers.” The Alliance For Children. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://theallianceforchildren.org/providers/#programs.
7. “Providers.” The Alliance For Children. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://theallianceforchildren.org/providers/#programs.
8. “About.” The Alliance For Children. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://theallianceforchildren.org/about/.
9.  “Taking Action: Smart Start & Moms Rising.” Smart Start & The North Carolina Partnership for Children . Accessed June 12, 2023. https://www.smartstart.org/family-engagement-and-leadership/taking-action/#:~:text=MomsRising%2C%20in%20collaboration%20with%20the%20North%20Carolina%20Partnership,think%20through%20and%20address%20challenges%20that%20may%20arise.
10.  [1] “Staff.” The Alliance For Children. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://theallianceforchildren.org/about/staff/.
11. “Alliance for Children, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/562052395/202340269349300144/full.
12.  FAQ.” The Alliance For Children. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://theallianceforchildren.org/about/faqs/.
13. Mace, Jody. “69th Annual Union County Christmas Parade.” Charlotte On The Cheap, November 19, 2022. https://www.charlotteonthecheap.com/union-county-christmas-parade/.