Child Care Rules, Law, and Public Information
North Carolina Child Care Rules and Law
Laws governing child care are made by the N.C. General Assembly.
Rules to implement the law are made by the N.C. Child Care Commission.
How to Request Public Records
Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Proposed Rule Amendments
10A NCAC 09 .1101, .1102, .1703, .1729, .2101
This set of rules is proposed for amendment by the NC Child Care Commission in order to come into full compliance with requirements of the federal Child Care Development Block Fund Grant, 42 U.S.C. §9858 (CCDBG) concerning health and safety training requirements for substitutes and volunteers at child care facilities. The CCDBG Act is the primary federal law supporting child care programs for low-income working families. It provides discretionary funding to state, territorial, and tribal agencies to subsidize child care costs for eligible children and enhance the quality and availability of child care. Discretionary CCDBG funds are combined with mandatory Child Care Entitlement to States (CCES) funds, which are permanently authorized under Section 418 of the Social Security Act and must follow CCDBG rules. Together, these funding streams form the Child Care and Development Fund, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The CCDF provides federal subsidies for low-income families with a parent who is working or continuing their education and training. These subsidies help families pay for child care services. In addition to proposed rule changes required to comply with federal CCDF requirements, the proposed amendments clarify that religious-sponsored child care centers are not exempt from health and safety training requirements if they participate in the child care subsidy assistance program.
Read the Proposed Amendments
Read the OSBM Approved Fiscal Analysis
Proposed Effective Date: October 1, 2025
Public Hearing:
Date: August 11, 2025
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Location: 333 Six Forks Road, Room 165, Raleigh, NC 27609 and By WebEx
Comments may be submitted by August 15, 2025 to:
Julie Peck, DCDEE Rulemaking Coordinator
2201 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-2201
[email protected]
Periodic Review of Existing Child Care Rules
As part of the periodic review of rules required by state law, the Child Care Commission (“Commission”) has made initial determinations on whether each child care rule is necessary or unnecessary. The Commission invites public comments on its initial determinations from October 2 to January 22, 2025.
"Public comment" is defined by G.S. 150B-21.3A(a)(5) as a written objection to all or part of a rule. Additionally, pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A(c)(2), in order for the Rules Review Commission to determine whether the public comment has merit, the public comment must address the specific substance of the rule and address any of the standards of Commission review, as set forth in G.S. 150B-21.9(a).
10A NCAC 09 Report with Initial Determinations
Comments should be directed to:
Child Care Commission
2201 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-2201
Attn: Julie Peck
[email protected]
Additional information regarding the Periodic Review and Expiration of Existing Rules can be found at https://www.oah.nc.gov/rules-division/periodic-review-and-expiration-existing-rules.
Notice of Public Hearing on the North Carolina Child Care and Development Fund Plan
Read the DRAFT NC CCDF Plan 2025-2027
Resources for Building Quality Settings in Early Care and Education
Environment Rating Scales
Outdoor Learning Environments
Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS)
Professional Development
Social-Emotional Development
Infant & Child Health
links to resources for professional development, environment rating scales, outdoor learning environments, social-emotional development and more
Guide to Frequently Used Acronyms in Early Care and Education