Members of the public are invited to comment on North Carolina’s 2025-2027 Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Plan. The Plan describes how the program will be administered by the NC Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) during the period of October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2027. The CCDF is the major source of Federal funds for DCDEE and the early childhood system in this state. The funds are used to provide child care assistance for families and to fund initiatives to improve and support the quality of child care in North Carolina.

In North Carolina, the CCDF provides support for:

• Subsidized child care services for more than 120,000 children each year
• Child care resource and referral services for families
• Increased education and compensation for child care teachers
• Technical assistance and training for child care providers
• Monitoring of child care programs
• North Carolina’s Star Rated License System for child care facilities

The projected amount of funding available through CCDF per federal fiscal year is about $398 million.

• Two virtual public hearings will be held on the draft CCDF Plan:

• Tuesday, May 21 from 6:00 -7:00 p.m. at the following ZoomGov link:

https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1600110536?pwd=THZwbUlzdGt3WGdYcEgraFRFUE54Zz09

Will confirm Spanish interpretation services soon

Meeting ID:  160 011 0536

Passcode:  666872

One tap mobile

(646) 828 - 7666, passcode  160011053#

• Thursday, May 22 from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the following link: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1607122886?pwd=ZDh5T1VBNVQvUFFKdTdCczdob2Z0QT09

Meeting ID: 160 712 2886

• One tap mobile

(646) 682 - 7666, passcode 1607122886#

DCDEE welcomes attendance and comment on the draft CCDF Plan. For those who can’t attend the meeting, written comments can be sent by the date of the hearing to [email protected] or by US Mail addressed to:

CCDF Coordinator

2025-2027 CCDF Plan Comments

            NC Division of Child Development and Early Education

            2201 Mail Service Center

The North Carolina Child Care Commission adopted child care rule changes in January 2024.  Changes relate to definitions; lead and asbestos for centers and family child care homes; building requirements for family child care homes; multi-unit child care centers; and criminal background checks. Consultants will assist as you begin to review and implement the changes, but please note, some of the rule changes may or may not impact your facility. An example is the rules in section .2600 for multi-unit child care center. These rules are specific to child care centers with multiple licensed centers within one building.

Please ensure you are using the updated January 2024 rule book, and view information in the DCDEE Moodle.

DCDEE is pleased to announce a new Notice of Funding Availability for In-Home Family Child Care Program Request for Applications (RFA).

The purpose of this request for applications is in response to the General Assembly Session Law 2023-134 Section 9D.8, n.d. for the NC Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development to administer a pilot program that provides business and financial assistance in creating new in-home child care programs and sustaining existing in-home child care programs in this State.

Up $1,050,000 is available for the In-Home Family Child Care Program from May 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. A single award will be made for this program and One award will be funded through this announcement.

Eligibility requirements are included in the RFA.

Applications are due by 5:00 pm on February 26, 2024.

Application Face Sheet RFA # 001  

2024 In-Home Family Child Care Program RFA

Line Item Budget Template 

Line Item Budget and Narrative Instructions

Bidder's Conference Slide Deck

Questions and Answers