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    2. Background Checks
      1. Adoption Background Checks
      2. Child Care Background Checks
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    3. Child Care Rules, Law and Public Information
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      1. Impact of Preschool Development Grant in North Carolina
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    9. Licensing
      1. Annual License Fee
      2. Getting a License
      3. Child Care License Overview
        1. Visit Types
      4. Licensing Requirements
      5. Licensing Requirements FAQ
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        1. Star Rated License FAQs
        2. Education Standards
        3. Program Standards
        4. Increasing Your Star Rating
        5. How Points are Earned
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          1. Curriculum Child Care Law and Rules
          2. Four-Year-Old Formative Assessments
      7. Summer Day Camp Frequently Asked Questions
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  4. Parent
    1. Choosing Quality Child Care
      1. Checklist
      2. Child Care in NC Resources
      3. Choosing Quality Care FAQ
    2. File a Child Care Program Complaint
      1. Prevention Resources
    3. Need Help With Child Care Costs?
    4. Child Care Licensing Requirements
      1. Licensing Requirements FAQ
    5. County Resource Lookup
    6. Star Rated Licenses
      1. Education Standards
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      1. Product Safety Recalls
    8. Special Needs
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    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
        3. Ongoing Training FAQ
        4. Health and Safety Training FAQs
      3. On-Going Training
      4. ITS-SIDS Project
      5. Countable Technical Assistance
      6. Playground Safety
      7. DCDEE Training Approval & Renewal
      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
    1. County Contacts Lookup
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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

Getting a License

What is Child Care

Child Care in North Carolina is defined as a program or arrangement where three or more children less than 13-years-old, who do not reside where the care is provided, receive care on a regular basis of at least once per week for more than four hours, but less than 24 hours per day, from people other than their guardians or full-time custodians, or from persons not related to them by birth, marriage, or adoption.

How Do I Get Licensed? 

Family Child Care Home (FCCH)

Child Care Center (CCC)

Pre-Licensing Workshops Schedule and Application:

Summer Day Camp

Child Care Rules and Law

 

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.

 

 

 

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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