Provider Resources

Infant-Toddler Educator Resources

The NC Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative uses a Practice-Based Coaching framework which involves building partnerships and shared goals with infant and toddler teachers and administrators to help them plan for and achieve high quality practices that are responsive to the individual needs of infant and toddlers in licensed early care and education spaces. This includes building positive relationships with children, families and co-workers; creating environments to support social-emotional development; developing the capacity of infants and young children to form close and secure adult and peer relationships; experiencing, regulating and expressing emotions; exploring the environment; learning social skills; implementing high quality care practices as defined by ZERO TO THREE’s Critical Competencies for Early Childhood Educators, ITERS-3, and Infant and Toddler CLASS.

Infant Toddler Educator AWARD$ Plus is an education-based salary supplement program for full-time infant-toddler educators. These supplements help to address the known compensation gap and give infant-toddler teachers a greater opportunity to stay in the field and to grow their skills and knowledge. AWARD$ Plus provides an interim step to getting the workforce North Carolina’s infants and toddlers need, so teachers can have the compensation they need to stay in their classrooms with our youngest children.

The Infant Toddler Trauma Informed Care Project aims to create and manage a professional development system for licensed childcare providers caring for children aged birth to three. This system will focus on ongoing learning in trauma-informed care and social-emotional development. The two key components of this project are to provide ongoing coaching on the trauma-informed care learning collaborative model to at licensed early care and education settings and to offer Adult Mental Health First Aid training to program directors or leaders.

Since 2021, DCDEE has partnered with the NC Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Association to establish North Carolina’s first-ever ever Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement® (IECMH) Endorsement® credentialing system. The IECMH Endorsement® is a formal recognition of education, work, training, and reflective supervision experiences related to infant and early childhood mental health. Established by the Alliance for the Advance of Mental Health, the IECMH Endorsement® credential is internationally recognized and is based upon the Competency Guidelines for Endorsement for Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health.

	Resource Name	Contact...
	The Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies Technical assistance programs designed to help providers develop quality child care programs. Your local agency may also be able to assist you in finding out about local funding sources or resources to assist with program improvements. Specific programs vary by county. All counties do not have their own agency; some agencies cover multiple counties. Child Care in North Carolina Brochure Child Care in NC Resources	Search Here for the location of the agency serving your area.
	NC Subsidized Child Care System Allows licensed Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes to receive payment for child care services provided for families who are eligible for child care subsidy services through a locally administered state-supervised voucher system.	Your local department of social services or county child care contacts.
	Smart Start Partnerships for Children Provides support to improve the quality, accessibility and availability of child care for NC children and families. Also provides health and family support services to ensure children are healthy and ready to succeed in school. Services vary by county. Many partnerships provide grants and technical assistance to improve the quality of care.	919.821.7999 or www.ncsmartstart.org for the name/contact of your local partnership.
	Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Provides reimbursement to licensed caregivers for meals and supplements (snacks) served to children enrolled in a Child Care Center or Family Child Care Home.	Food and Nutrition Service, 1914 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1914, Phone: 919.707.5799 or www.nutritionnc.com for information on your local contact.
	Self-Help Credit Union Provides loans to help child care providers get started, expand, buy equipment and real estate, and upgrade quality. Providers serving children receiving subsidy may qualify for a special low-interest loan program.	800.476.7428 or www.self-help.org for more information.
	T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Project Comprehensive scholarships help pay the cost of tuition, books, and travel, may insure paid release time, require compensation incentives and encourage retention for child care providers working on a credential or degree in early childhood education or child development. Child Care WAGE$® Salary supplements that are linked to the education level of participants are paid every six months as long as participants remain in child care program.	Child Care Services Association, P.O. Box 231 Chapel Hill, NC 27514 or call 919.967.3272 or www.childcareservices.org
	Partnerships for Inclusion Provides technical assistance to support the inclusion of young children with disabilities, ages birth through five, in all aspects of community life, including child care.	Pat Wesley 919.962.7356 or https://fpg.unc.edu/node/8867
	American Association of Poison Control Centers Promotes the reduction of injury, illness, and death from poisonings through public and professional education and scientific research. Promotes universal access to certified regional poison centers.	800.222.1222 or visit their website at http://www.aapcc.org
	NC Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center Promotes safe and healthy environments for children in child care settings. Our toll free number, 1-800-367-2229, is part of the NC Family Health Resource Line. Information, resources, and referrals to the child care communities are provided in both English and Spanish. We provide consultation and technical assistance for Child Care Health Consultants and other professionals working with child care programs.	800.367.2229 or www.healthychildcarenc.orgfor the name/contact of Child Care Health Consultants and for health and safety information and resource.
	National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) mission is to help prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation; help find missing children; and assist victims of child abduction and sexual exploitation, their families, and the professionals who serve them.	National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Charles B. Wang International Children's Building 699 Prince Street Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3175 Phone: 703-274-3900 Fax: 703-274-2200 Hotline:1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)
	Toxic pesticides are over-used in North Carolina and around the world, polluting our food, water and our bodies. Toxic Free NC fights pesticide pollution in North Carolina by advocating for common-sense alternatives that protect our health and environment. We are an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization -- North Carolina’s only organization working to put people before pesticides. Children are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of toxic chemicals like pesticides. Toxic Free NC is working with parents, schools, childcare centers and health advocates to replace toxic pesticides with low-cost, common-sense pest management methods. To obtain additional information, visit Toxic Free NC’s website at www.toxicfreenc.org	Billie Karel (919) 833-1123 www.toxicfreenc.org
	The Institute has since its inception in 1993 focused its efforts on building a comprehensive professional development and recognition system that links education and compensation for the over 45,000 early educators in our state. The Institute is the certifying body for NC early educators working with children ages birth to twelve in out of home settings through its Early Educator Certification process. The work of the Institute addresses a very important need in our state – to support the development of an educated child care workforce to provide healthy, safe and stimulating environments and experiences for over a quarter million young children and their families. http://ncicdp.org	Debra Torrence, Director (919) 442-1942 http://ncicdp.org
	NC ECE Shared Resources is an easy-to-use, on-line web platform created for child care program owners, administrators, and classroom teachers to be a “one-stop shop” that will save you time, money, and help you continuously improve the quality of your services. Subscription required.	Kim Rowe (704) 376-6697 x251 https://www.ncecesharedresources.org/
	NC Choose Safe Places Program Part of a national initiative to protect children from harmful exposures to chemicals while attending child care centers, the Choose Safe Places (CSP) program works with child care providers to ensure child care centers are located in areas free of harmful substances, such as lead, arsenic, or volatile organic compounds. *Note: Choose Safe Places link to their main website: https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/oee/programs/csp.html	Occupational & Environmental Epidemiology Branch at (919) 707-5900 or [email protected].
	NC Farm to Preschool Network The North Carolina Farm to Preschool Network uplifts early childhood educators with inclusive resources, equitable opportunities, and diverse partnerships to spark connections between young children and the local foods movement. Our website and newsletter provide useful information and tips on children's gardening, cooking, and other local foods exploration in ECE settings.	Contact: 828.236.1282 x103 or https://growing-minds.org/nc-farm-to-preschool-network/

Provider Resources

Infant-Toddler Educator Resources

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