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    1. DCDEE Sections
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      2. Early Educator Support (EES)
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  2. What's New
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    2. Background Checks
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      2. Child Care Background Checks
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      4. NC DHSR (Senate Bill 41) Background Checks
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    3. Child Care Rules, Law and Public Information
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    5. Preschool Development Grant - Birth through Five
      1. Impact of Preschool Development Grant in North Carolina
    6. DCDEE WORKS
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    8. Early Educator Support (EES)
      1. EES FAQ
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    9. Licensing
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        2. Education Standards
        3. Program Standards
        4. Increasing Your Star Rating
        5. How Points are Earned
        6. Curriculum
          1. Curriculum Child Care Law and Rules
          2. Four-Year-Old Formative Assessments
      7. Summer Day Camp Frequently Asked Questions
    10. NC FAST
    11. NC Pre-K Program
      1. Approved Curricula
      2. Advisory Committee Meeting
      3. Formative Assessment
    12. Workforce Education Unit
    13. Smart Start Reporting System
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    1. Choosing Quality Child Care
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      3. Choosing Quality Care FAQ
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    3. Need Help With Child Care Costs?
    4. Child Care Licensing Requirements
      1. Licensing Requirements FAQ
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    6. Star Rated Licenses
      1. Education Standards
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      1. Product Safety Recalls
    8. Special Needs
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      2. Special Needs Resources
      3. Special Needs FAQs
    9. Additional Resources
      1. Temporary Housing
      2. Child Care in NC Resources
    10. Developmental Assessments
    11. Military Families Child Care Assistance
  5. Provider
    1. Training and Professional Development
      1. Orientation, Pre-Service Requirements & Professional Development Planning
      2. Health and Safety Trainings
        1. Be a Smart Consumer of Child Care Training
        2. Be a Smart Consumer of First Aid and CPR Training
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        4. Health and Safety Training FAQs
      3. On-Going Training
      4. ITS-SIDS Project
      5. Countable Technical Assistance
      6. Playground Safety
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      8. DCDEE Moodle
        1. How To Navigate Moodle
    2. Background Check
      1. Basic Information
      2. Adoption Background Check
      3. Child Care Background Check
      4. Foster Parent Background Check
      5. NC DHHS (Senate Bill 41) Background Checks
      6. State Human Resource Personnel
      7. Out of State Background Check Information
      8. Interstate Background Check Information
    3. Child Care Fee Assistance for Military Families
    4. Child Care Rules
    5. Child Care Subsidy
      1. Subsidy Funding Authorization
      2. Provider Subsidy Compliance Training
      3. Subsidy Manual
      4. Subsidized Child Care Services Forms
      5. Market Rates
      6. Market Rate Study
      7. Subsidy Rate Calculator
    6. DCDEE WORKS
    7. Emergency Preparedness and Response
      1. Disaster Plan
      2. Disaster Recovery
    8. Foundations for Early Learning and Development
    9. Licensing
      1. Getting a License
      2. Annual License Fee
      3. Child Care License Overview
      4. Licensing Requirements FAQ
      5. Star Rated License
        1. QRIS Modernization
        2. Star Rated License FAQs
        3. Education Standards
        4. Program Standards
        5. Increasing Your Star Rating
        6. How Points are Earned
        7. Curriculum
      6. Summer Day Camp Frequently Asked Questions
    10. NC FAST
    11. Provider Documents and Forms
    12. Providing Child Care
      1. Licensing Requirements Overview
      2. Licensing Requirements
      3. Providing Child Care FAQs
      4. Star Rated License
      5. Subsidized Child Care
        1. Care for Children Receiving Subsidy
        2. DCDEE Subsidy Compliance Unit
        3. Market Rates
        4. Subsidized Child Care Forms
        5. Subsidy Funding Authorization
        6. Subsidy Rate Calculator
    13. Provider Resources
      1. Child Care Contacts Lookup
      2. Child Care in NC Resources
      3. Behavior Management
    14. Regulated Child Care in NC
    15. Stabilization Grants
    16. Expansion and Access Grants
  6. County
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    3. Child Care Snapshot
      1. Child Care Statistic Report
    4. Expenditure Report
    5. Fact Sheets
    6. Subsidy Funding Authorization
    7. Subsidy Manuals
      1. Subsidized Child Care Forms
    8. Subsidy Technical Assistance
    9. Additional Resources
  7. How Do I...?
    1. Find Child Care Near My Work or Home
    2. Get Financial Assistance for Child Care
    3. File a Child Care Program Complaint
    4. Find Monitoring Reports
    5. Start a Family Child Care in My Home
    6. Become a Child Care Provider
    7. Become a Pre-K Teacher
    8. Create an NCID
    9. Get My Criminal Background Check
    10. Create a DCDEE WORKS Account
  8. Search for Child Care
  9. Kindergarten Search

The Division of Child Development and Early Education is moving October 1, 2025! 

DCDEE is joining our Department of Health and Human Services colleagues in the new DHHS headquarters just across the street from the NC Museum of Art.

Our mailing address is unchanged: 2201 Mail Service Center | Raleigh, NC 27699-2200.

Our new physical address is 1915 Health Services Way, Raleigh, NC 27607.

Our last day in the Six Forks office will be September 26.

We’ll be in the new building beginning October 1 and the November 3rd Child Care Commission meeting will be held there.

Raise North Carolina

North Carolina‘s high-quality early care and learning network helps families raise capable children and a stronger North Carolina. Learn how investing in early childhood education helps us all Raise NC.


Raise NC 
Child Care Stabilization Grants to help Raise NC

Child Care Stabilization Grants to help Raise NC

Historic $805M investment is a win for early care and learning workforce, families with young children, and the NC economy!


Learn more 
The Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood-PLUS initiative in North Carolina

The Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood-PLUS (MCCYN-PLUS) initiative in North Carolina

provides financial assistance to help military families access and afford quality child care from community providers when on-base child care isn’t available. 


Child Care Fee Assistance for Military Families 
DCDEE WORKS

DCDEE WORKS

Staff in all child care positions must meet minimum education requirements. Previously, Education Evaluation Specialists in the Early Education Branch, Workforce Education Unit of DCDEE, assessed the education of individuals working in child care using paper applications in order to determine their qualifications. WORKS is designed to streamline education evaluation, using a web-based process designed to increase efficiency with which staff can process child care provider applications.


Learn More 
Child Care Provider Search
Child Care Provider Search

One of the most important decisions you will ever make as a parent is choosing quality child care for your child. Every child is special and unique, and deserves the best start possible. Studies reveal that a high quality child care program will better prepare children for school, increasing their chances for success. 

Follow DCDEE!

 

Find Out More

 
 

 

 

2201 Mail Service Center | Raleigh, NC 27699-2200
919-814-6300 | 1-800-859-0829 (In State Only)
[email protected]

 

 

North Carolina Depertment of Health and Human Services
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