About Us
Our Vision
Every child age birth to five in Asheville and Buncombe County has access to high-quality, affordable early care and education
Our Mission
To start by increasing access to affordable, high-quality preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds in Asheville and Buncombe County, with a priority on children and families who are currently experiencing the greatest barriers to access
Who are we?
We are local family members, community leaders, K-12 educators, early childhood educators, employers, and caring neighbors who understand that investing in our youngest children is the best way to invest in our future.
After years of collaborative work to lift up Early Childhood Education in our community, Buncombe County Commissioners created the Early Childhood Education and Development Fund in 2018, designating $3.6 million to expanding access to care through a grant process.
In July 2021, Buncombe Partnership for Children, the convener of ABPPC, officially partnered with the County to develop plans to expand NC Pre-K. We are currently developing recommendations to support more providers to offer the program and more families to access it. ABPPC is deeply engaged in this work, developing the details of those recommendations in workgroups and engaging broader family and educator voice in the process. We are committed to centering all decisions around equity and quality.
Coordinating Team Members:
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Amy Barry, Executive Director at Buncombe Partnership for Children
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Jennifer Bosworth, Education Department Chair at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
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Lissy Gloeckler, Professional Development Coordinator at Buncombe Partnership for Children
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Gabriel Guyton, President of Child and Family Services at Verner Center for Early Learning
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Caroline Rodier, Assistant Director at Buncombe Partnership for Children
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Mark Taft, Member of Buncombe County Early Childhood Education and Development Fund Committee & retired elementary school principal
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Jenny Vial, Director of Child Care Resources at Buncombe Partnership for Children​
Active ABPPC workgroups:
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Data & Mapping Workgroup: Collecting, analyzing, and mapping local data to identify local systems needs and expansion opportunities
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Infant & Toddler Access Workgroup: Ensuring our community is continuing to lift up and expand 0-3 slots (that do not begin to meet demand) as we implement pre-k expansion strategies
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Program and Workforce Workgroup: Designing local models for preschool expansion and quality improvement
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Racial Equity in Early Ed Workgroup:
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Transportation & Wrap-around Workgroup