Raise NC
Raise North Carolina:
Invest in Early Care and Learning
North Carolina‘s high-quality early care and learning network helps families raise capable children and a stronger North Carolina. Early childhood teachers, people, organizations and agencies work together to help families work while raising the early abilities in their children that are essential for success in school and life.
North Carolina is a national leader in early care and learning—and it needs continued investment to strengthen all families and the state’s economy.
Raise North Carolina is a public education campaign to build appreciation and support for North Carolina’s early care and learning network and the teachers who serve children, families and North Carolina.
North Carolina families, caregivers, educators, advocates, businesses and policymakers can join in and take action by:
- Showing appreciation on social media for the early care and learning teachers who serve young children and families each day. Use the hashtag #RaiseNC and tag @ncdhhs.
- Sharing success stories that highlight the great work and positive impacts of early care and learning on children, families, and communities.
- Calling for increased federal and state support to help rebuild and strengthen the state’s network.
- Learning more about the importance of the state’s early care and learning network and equipping fellow community members with information about Raise NC.
Investing in early childhood education helps us all Raise NC.
Raise NC Toolkit
Raise your voice to Raise NC. Explore and download the full suite of easy-to-use educational and promotional materials, including flyers, social media posts, graphics, talking points and more. Whether you’re an organization or an individual, these materials are free and available for your advocacy efforts.
Working families depend on quality early care and learning teachers to help them with the healthy intellectual, social, emotional and physical development of their infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
Raise North Carolina Talking Points for Families
Get facts and learn how to communicate the value of North Carolina’s early care and learning network.
Child Care Resource & Referral Council (CCR&R)
CCR&R help families find the early care, education and school-age child care options that best suit their needs and work directly with child care providers, businesses and communities to improve the quality and variety of child care services.
NC Pre-K Information for Parents
The NC Pre-K Program is designed to provide high-quality educational experiences to enhance school readiness for eligible four-year-old children. Check eligibility, learn how to apply and get help finding NC Pre-K programs.
Child Care Financial Assistance
If a family meets the eligibility criteria, and the local county department of social services has funds available, the state of North Carolina may help pay a portion of the cost of child care.
Smart Start
Smart Start is North Carolina’s nationally-recognized initiative to ensure that every child reaches his or her potential and is prepared to succeed in a global community. Smart Start helps working parents pay for child care, improves the quality of child care and provides health and family support services in every North Carolina county.
Division of Child Development and Early Education
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) ensures the health and safety of children in child care programs, promotes quality child care by implementing evidenced-based standards and works to increase access to quality child care to families and children across North Carolina. Find resources for parents, early care and learning programs and teachers.
Rootle Readiness from PBS North Carolina
PBS North Carolina Education and its partners provide educational resources to help families learn and grow together as they prepare their children for success in school and life.
Learn to communicate the value of North Carolina’s early care and learning network. These Talking Points can be used to prepare for speaking or writing to families, constituents, partners, policymakers, business leaders or the media. Choose points to support a specific goal and/or address a specific audience.
At the center of NC’s early care and learning network are thousands of providers and teachers with a deep commitment to the healthy development of children and the families and communities they serve. Providers and educators can help Raise NC by voicing what they need to provide quality care, and by making it clear that access for families is useless if it is not access to quality early childhood teachers.
Early Childhood Teacher: Pathways to the Profession
North Carolina is making it easier for high school students to become early childhood teachers—and current professionals can get college credit for their work experience toward a degree in early childhood education. Help prepare young children for success in school and life.
Share Your Story
By sharing your experiences, you help parents, childfree families, policymakers, business leaders, media and others understand the essential role you play in the lives of children and families, your community and the North Carolina economy.
Raise North Carolina Talking Points for Educators
Get facts and learn how to communicate the value of North Carolina’s early care and learning network.
ChildCareStrongNC Public Health Toolkit
COVID-19 Guidance for early care and learning environments from the NCDHHS.
Child Care Resource & Referral Council (CCR&R)
Whether you’re an established child care provider or just getting started, CCR&R can help with the training, technical assistance and resources you need.
Child Care Stabilization Grants
Financial assistance is available to help early care and learning programs keep their doors open. Learn how federal funds are addressing the child care crisis worsened by COVID-19.
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.
Watch Our PSAs
Hear from parents, teachers, and early childhood education experts in our public service announcements (PSAs). Support the early care and learning professionals that raise North Carolina.
Watch/Share (English and Spanish)
Download (English and Spanish)
The videos in the links above are free for you to use and republish, including on your own social media channels.
Social Media Graphics
Share information about Raise North Carolina directly to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
"It feels wonderful to know that the foundation we set in early childhood help the kids go on to learn and grow in school, and socially, emotionally help them prepare for all the years to come." —Heather Estanol