Ccdd-2026 - child care and development block grant discretionary

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families awarded the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services $824,991,613 under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Discretionary program (CFDA 93.575) on October 1, 2025, for the period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2028, with performance in North Carolina.

The block grant funds child care subsidies through vouchers or certificates to families with low income and supports quality improvement initiatives across early care and education programs statewide. North Carolina passes grant funding to sub-recipients delivering targeted services. Early Years, Inc. implements a statewide salary supplement program for the infant-toddler workforce in licensed child care programs, effective February 1, 2026, and strengthens North Carolina's infant-toddler workforce through quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) implementation across three pathways: Program Assessment, Classroom Instructional Quality, and Accreditation Standards, also starting February 1, 2026. The Southwestern Child Development Commission, Inc., Child Care Resources Inc., and Early Years, Inc. each provide technical assistance and professional development to early care and education programs across distinct regions—Western, South Central, and Eastern and North Central regions respectively—effective July 1, 2026. These sub-recipients develop professional development learning communities to build management skills for current and aspiring child care directors and operate resource hubs for families receiving child care services, all aligned with North Carolina's Professional Development Framework for Continuous Quality Improvement.