Making the Right Decision
Choosing Quality Child Care American Sign Language (ASL) Video
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 facility helps children better prepare for school and increase their chances of success. Research also indicates that employers’ benefit when their employees' children are in quality child care arrangements. Parents are more productive and focused on work knowing their children are being nurtured and interacted with in ways that promote all areas of their development. This confidence in care creates a win-win situation for everyone: parents, children, and employers.
Part of assessing a child care facility and making the right decision is to understand the Star Rated License. All licensed facilities, except those operated by religious sponsored organizations, have a star-rating similar to the ratings you will find for other products and services. A One Star means the facility meets North Carolina’s minimum childcare requirements. A Five Star license means a facility meets the voluntary enhanced standards required for the highest star level. Searching for child care that meets the needs of your child and family can begin by researching the facilities in your area using the child care search site located on the Division’s website and then visiting the facilities of interest to assess them in person. When utilizing the child care search site you can see a facility’s basic information, and their star rated license. While at the facility, the license will be posted in a prominent place for parent review. On the license you will see the star level earned and either the licensing pathway the facility chose when applying for their two through five-star rated license or the scores the facility has earned in the two major components of the license: Staff Education and Program Standards and if they received a Quality Point. North Carolina recently modernized our QRIS system. Effective July 1, 2025, the system changed from a point based two component system to star level pathway options: Program Assessment, Classroom and Instructional Quality, and Accreditation/Head Start. In this transitional time, the license could reflect different QRIS information depending on when it was issued. For more information on the Star Rated License, click on the Star-Rated License tab: QRIS Modernization page.
How Can the Division of Child Development and Early Education Help Me?
The North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education makes every effort to provide information parents need to make the best possible child care choices. Information to help with finding and choosing child care is available on the Division’s Child Care Facility Search Site. After conducting a search for child care, parents will find the following information by facility:
- Basic information (name of the facility, location, and contact information)
- License information (type, effective date, star rating, approved capacity and license restrictions, if applicable.
- Facility special features (additional services, amenities and staff/child ratio policy)
- Owner information
- DCDEE visit information (visit summary reports available to print/download)
- Actions taken (indicate if any administrative action has been taken over the last three years)
What are some Things I Can Do to Gather Information on Facilities?
Use any of the following to obtain child care records:
- Get Recommendations from People You Know
- Talk to your friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors, or others you know about their experiences with different child care facilities
- Visit Multiple Facilities
- Nothing is better than seeing the facility firsthand
- Contact Your Resource & Referral Agency who:
- Work with parents, child care operators, businesses, and community organizations to help promote the availability of quality child care services
- Provide parents with child care referrals and information on choosing quality child care, plus resources on various parenting issues
- Offer early educators access to valuable training and support services for new and established facilities
Be sure to visit the parent resources page for links to other valuable child care sites that can assist you in choosing quality child care.