Need child care in NC? How to find safe, affordable help for your family in Charlotte

Leaving your child in the care of someone else can be daunting, with numerous places to comb through in order to find somewhere your family can afford that leaves you feeling safe and comfortable.

In the Charlotte area and across N.C., there are tools available for finding and evaluating licensed child care facilities, including day cares and kindergartens. And financial assistance is also available for families struggling to afford child care.

Here’s what to know about finding quality, affordable child care in North Carolina:

What to look for in a child care facility

The North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education recommends taking a number of steps when looking for a child care facility, including:

Getting recommendations from trusted friends, family, coworkers and neighbors

Looking into potential facilities’ child care records

Checking out facilities in person, and visiting multiple facilities

Thinking through questions you want to ask before touring facilities, using the state’s checklist as a guide

Once your child is enrolled in a program, the department suggests visiting frequently and routinely asking your child about their experiences at the facility.

How to search for child care providers in NC

You can search for child care providers in the Charlotte area and throughout North Carolina using the state’s facility search at ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/childcaresearch.

You can also search for kindergarten options at ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Kindergarten-Search.

And the nonprofit Child Care Resources Inc. also has a child care search, available online at childcareresourcesinc.org/find-child-care or by calling 704-348-2181. Their service “offers parents free, personalized referrals to licensed child care providers in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, Rowan, and Stanly counties.”

How to check reports on child care facilities in NC

Parents and caregivers can search North Carolina child care facilities’ records online at ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/childcaresearch. Once you find the facility, look under a section titled “DCDEE visits” to see reports about inspections and whether there were violations.

Records available include “star rated license information, sanitation scores, complaint investigations, visits made by Division staff and any administrative actions taken.”

You can also get records in person from the Division of Child Development and Early Education’s office, located at 333 East Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27609.

And you may also request information by calling 800-859-0829 or 919-814-6300 or emailing webmasterdcd@dhhs.nc.gov.

Child Care Resources Inc. also offers information on facilities and assistance helping families in Mecklenburg and surrounding counties navigate their choices. You can visit their website at childcareresourcesinc.org, call 704-376-6697 or email mailbox@childcareresourcesinc.org for more details and help.

How to apply for financial assistance for child care in NC

North Carolina distributes funds for subsidized child care through a locally administered state-supervised voucher system.

In Mecklenburg County, Social Services’ Child Care Services program “contracts with Child Care Resources Inc. to provide subsidized childcare to eligible working families in Mecklenburg County.”

“If a family meets the eligibility criteria, the state of North Carolina pays a portion of the cost of childcare,” the county explains. “Parents are free to choose a childcare arrangement that best fits their needs as long as the provider chosen participates in the Subsidized Child Care Program.”

Child Care Resources Inc. administers child care subsidy programs in Mecklenburg County. For more information, visit childcareresourcesinc.org.

The Smart Start program also offers multiple programs, including Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and MECK Pre-K, to all Mecklenburg County families, regardless of income or other factors. And military families can get information on additional financial assistance at ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Parent/Military-Families-Child-Care-Assistance.

©2023 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.