RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCT) — Gov. Roy Cooper is proposing adding $15 million to the Smart Start program, a public-private partnership focused on early childhood health and education.

The increase would be the first state-funded increase in the program since 2008.

“Investing in our kids by supporting programs like Smart Start should be a bipartisan priority,” said Cooper in a news release. “Education doesn’t start on the first day of kindergarten, and expanding Smart Start will help more children across the state get the support they need to show up at school ready to learn. I hope legislators will join me in pushing for adequate investment in this critical program.”

A North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management analysis of North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. data broke down how much funding that would amount to for each local partnership:

Beaufort/Hyde $83,936

Carteret $72,487

Craven $178,730

Duplin $118,653

Lenoir -Greene $161,193

Martin/Pitt $279,638

Onslow $432,480

Pamlico $20,226

Tyrrell-Washington $41,708