NC Child Care Snapshot
The following is a brief summary of child care demographics of North Carolina. Compared to the national average, North Carolina has one of the highest rates of working mothers with young children; thus, making the need for child care one of the state's top priorities. Over 200,000 children spend part or all of their day in regulated child care arrangements. The need and availability of child care is essential for the State of North Carolina's economic development and stability.
On this page, information about child care facilities regulated by the Division and information about the Subsidized Child Care (SCC) Program is updated. To review monthly reports for regulated and subsidized care, go to Monthly Child Care Statistical Reports.
The Snapshot is made up of three (3) key categories:
North Carolina Demographics
Category |
Number |
2016 Total Population |
9,940,828 |
2016 Children 0-4 years old |
605,960 |
2016 Children 5-9 years old |
644,338 |
2016 Children 10-14 years old |
651,637 |
2016 Total children under 18 |
2,286,390 |
Children under 5 as percent of population |
6.1% |
Children under 18 as percent of population |
23.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2016 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates
Child Care Highlights
Child Care Centers |
Number of regulated Child Care Centers |
4,607 |
Number of children enrolled in Child Care Centers |
246,622 |
Family Child Care Homes |
Number of regulated Family Child Care Homes |
1,878 |
Number of children enrolled in Family Child Care Homes |
11,820 |
Subsidy |
Number of children served |
63,509 |
Totals |
Total number of regulated facilities |
6,485 |
Total number of children enrolled in regulated facilities |
252,442 |
Source, Division of Child Development and Early Education Monthly Statistical Summary Report - May 2017
Number of Children Served Receiving Subsidy - 63,509
The Current Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Plan
The CCDF Plan is North Carolina's largest source of federal child care funds. CCDF funds must be used by states for child care subsidies and initiatives to improve the quality of child care. States are required to submit a biennial plan describing how CCDF funds will be used.
For additional information on any of these statistics, contact the Division at (800) 859-0829