Orange County Partnership for Young Children

About Us

The Orange County Partnership for Young Children (OCPYC) is a nonprofit organization that serves as the backbone for early childhood services in Orange County, working to ensure that all children arrive at school healthy and ready to succeed. As the county’s Smart Start agency, OCPYC focuses on the critical early years from birth to age five by strengthening early learning systems, improving access to high-quality, affordable childcare, and supporting families as children’s first teachers. The partnership addresses inequities that impact school readiness by building on the strengths of children and families and prioritizing underserved communities. Through programs that support childcare quality improvement, family education and health, early literacy, developmental screening, and connections to resources such as NC Pre-K, OCPYC promotes overall child and family well-being and helps build a strong, equitable early education system for the county.