The NC Child Care Commission is initiating a process to review curricula and formative assessments for use in 1) NC Pre-Kindergarten classrooms and 2) birth to school-age programs participating in the Classroom and Instructional Quality and Program Assessment Pathways for Centers and Family Child Care Homes. If you have curriculum or formative assessments you would like reviewed, send the publisher the linked announcement. For more information go to the DCDEE Curriculum and Formative Assessment Review Process webpage.
Session Law 2025-36 outlines the specific requirements a family child care home must meet prior to the issuance of a new license and/or an increase in capacity. In consultation with our partners at the Office of State Fire Marshal, DCDEE has learned the following:
- This change applies to new family child care homes and any existing family child care home that makes a change to their license (increase capacity, change of location, etc.).
- This change in statute is not retroactive and will sunset once new rules are adopted by the Residential and Building Code Councils.
- Local ordinances and HOA requirements are still applicable, however there are no R4 occupancy requirements for any of the capacity options.
- To proceed with an increase in capacity, ensure there are no local ordinances or HOA covenants that prohibit the increase. Then once you have met the following five requirements*, submit a request for an increase in capacity in writing to your licensing consultant. They will schedule a visit and once compliance is verified, they will issue a new permit. *FCCH operators currently meet the requirements outlined in items one and three, in accordance with child care rules .1701(1) and .1714.
The code requirements and guidance to achieve compliance:
Training, webinars, consultations, resources and more coming soon
The DCDEE team looks forward to working with child care facilities across the state to transition to the new QRIS system, also known as Pathways to the Stars, located in Section .3200 of the Child Care Rules. The transition will begin soon with the following informational opportunities:
- In August, we’ll provide a rule roll out module in the DCDEE e-learning Moodle platform and host webinars on the following dates and times:
- August 18th at 1:00pm (child care centers and centers located in a residence) and 6:30pm (family child care homes)
- August 20th at 1:00pm (family child care homes) and 6:30pm (child care centers and centers located in a residence)
- In September, child care consultants will host in-person facility operator/administrator meetings within the counties they serve to provide additional guidance on the changes, the transition plan and timeline.
- Beginning In October, child care consultants will begin discussing the new rules in Section .3200; Standards for Two through Five Star Rated Licenses during licensing visits. Consultants will review the pathway options, identify facility needs, answer questions, and work with the facility operator to establish an individualized timeline for transition to a new rated license within 12 months based on the pathway chosen.
We understand this is a big change and are committed to ensuring all providers have a good understanding of the new opportunities in order to make informed decisions on which pathway best suits the needs of the facility. We look forward to seeing you at these upcoming informational settings and working with you on your pathway to the stars!
The purpose of this request for applications is to secure a Contractor with expertise in program evaluation to support North Carolina’s Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) activities. This effort will be driven by an updated Program Performance Evaluation (PPE) Plan, which aligns with North Carolina's Birth-Five Strategic Plan. The Contractor will be responsible for evaluating the progress of PDG B-5 activities toward strategic goals while contributing to continuous quality improvement (CQI). This will include monitoring the implementation of activities, assessing their outcomes, and identifying areas for enhancement.
One award of up to $300,000.00 will be made under this RFA to provide services set forth in the Scope of Work. A single award will be made for the successful applicant’s proposal. DCDEE will determine the actual funding amount based on the proposed execution of the project and the utilization of funds as outlined in the successful applicant’s proposal, pending funding availability.
Eligibility requirements are included in the RFA. Applications are due by 5:00 pm on September 4, 2025.
Application Face Sheet RFA # 002-DCDEE-2025
Request for Applications: “Program Performance Evaluation”
Line Item Budget Template
Line Item Budget and Narrative Instructions
Here are the current Initiatives of NC’s Preschool Development Grant.
PDG Birth-Five Initiative
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) partnered with the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to develop a research-policy collaboration to provide DCDEE with expertise in research and analysis related to short- and long-term policy questions focused on young children’s education and development.
This collaboration has produced research critical to understanding the contributing factors at play in North Carolina’s early childhood care and education landscape: Explore the research.