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About Us
Our Mission
The social and economic future of NC depends upon the success of our children. To that end, we implement quality standards, increase access for families, and collaborate to promote enhanced service delivery of care and education across the state.
Our Vision
Quality for Children, Success for Life!
Our History
In 1971, North Carolina's first child day care licensing law was passed. As a result, the North Carolina Department of Administration, Office of Child Day Care Licensing was created.
In 1985, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation that consolidated the Office of Child Day Care Licensing and the NC Department of Human Resources, Office of Child Day Care Services. This consolidation led to the creation of the Child Day Care Section, which was housed in the NC Division of Facility Services under the NC Department of Human Resources.
In 1993, the Child Day Care Section and some other parts of the Department of Human Resources (now referred to as the Department of Health and Human Services) agencies were reorganized into the Division of Child Development. The creation of the Division reflected the growing importance of child care to North Carolina families. North Carolina boasts one of the highest rates of working mothers with young children in the nation, making the availability of child care essential for the State's economic development and stability.
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Our Organization
The Division is the result of a longstanding commitment by the state of North Carolina to protect and serve its young children. The mission of the Division is performed by various organizational units that work together, each sharing in the overall responsibility of the agency. The responsibilities for these units are provided below:
Director's Office,
919.662.4543
The Director's Office is responsible for managing all personnel within the division; reviewing research on early childhood development issues; responding to requests from the public; preparing and presenting information and data about activities within the agency; and acting as a conduit between the Division's units to ensure the effective coordination of services. The Director's office focus is on our customers: our employees, children, parents, providers, and our partners in delivering services to the public. The following offices are under the Director's Office umbrella:
North Carolina Interagency Coordinating Council
- Assures the coordination and availability of comprehensive services for children with special needs and their families at the state level
- Provides leadership to local interagency coordinating councils that design and coordinate services for children with disabilities in each of the state's 100 counties
Licensing Enforcement Section
- Oversees the administrative actions taken by the Division
- Works in collaboration with the Division's attorney on hearings regarding administrative actions and negotiation of settlement agreements
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Regulatory Services Section, 919.662.4527
The Regulatory Services Section monitors and licenses all child care programs in North Carolina. Key responsibilities include:
- Assuring a safe and healthy child care environment in licensed Child Care Centers and Homes
- Promoting the overall availability of child care
- Increasing the availability of child care that meets higher than minimum licensing standards
- Increasing the amount of information provided to the public regarding child care arrangements and children's needs
- Monitoring child care arrangements for compliance with requirements
- Investigating complaints about child care arrangements, including reports of child abuse or neglect, and taking appropriate action
- Investigating reports of illegal operations
- Issuing licenses and other operating permits to child care arrangements
- Providing technical assistance and training to child care providers, potential providers and local agencies
- Providing consumer education and increasing parent outreach efforts by making information about North Carolina child care providers available on the Internet through the Division's Facility Search Site
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Subsidy Services Section, 919.662.4561
The Subsidy Services Section increases access to child care for low income families in North Carolina by administering the Subsidized Child Care Program which includes the development and issuance of policy to local purchasing agencies. Key responsibilities include:
- Approving Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes for participation in the subsidized child care program
- Reimbursing county departments of social services and other local purchasing agencies for monthly expenditures for subsidized child care
Administration Section, 919.662.4535
The Administration Section supports the rest of the Division by helping with implementation of programs and policies. Key responsibilities include:
- Preparing and managing the budget
- Purchasing equipment and supplies
- Developing and monitoring contracts and financial reports
- Designing and support of information systems to support policy and programmatic functions
- Producing reports that show child care trends and figures in the state
- Maintaining all automated office support systems
- Providing project management support to Division initiatives
- Developing administrative procedures that support the safe and smooth functioning of the Division
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Child Care Workforce Standards Section, 919.662.4567
The Workforce Section promotes the professional development of child care providers across North Carolina. The section verifies child care provider credentials and educational assessments and approves training opportunities to assist in meeting staff requirements. Key responsibilities include:
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Developing and maintaining credential requirements for the North Carolina Early Childhood Credential/Family Child Care Credential Program(s) and assessing additional post secondary coursework
- Administering the Criminal Records Check process to determine which providers are qualified to care for children
- Funding the Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.), Early Childhood Project, which is a statewide scholarship program to study early childhood education at all 58 community colleges and some of the state universities
- Improving safety and well-being of children in child care centers and family child care homes through in-service training
- Increasing the amount of information provided to the public related to child care quality and the needs of young children through child care resource and referral services
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Our Accomplishments
- 2004 finalist for Innovations in American Government Award, a program of the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government
- Selected by Working Mother magazine in November 2000 as one of the top six states for child care
- Spotlighted as innovative state by the Southern Institute on Children and Families for innovative subsidy policy
- In 1999, received Innovation in Government Award from the Council of State Governments for Smart Start
- In 1999, the Division implemented a new five-level star rated license for child care facilities based on achieving higher voluntary levels of program standards, staff education, and compliance history
- Recipient of 1998 Innovations in American Government Award from the Ford Foundation and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University for Smart Start
- Expanded Smart Start from 12 pilot partnerships in 1993 to 83 partnerships in all 100 counties
- Frequent advisor to other states on child care licensing and subsidy policies and systems
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