NC Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) and Smart Start Daycare Grants

What CCR&R Agencies Do

Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies are regional organizations funded partly by the state to support child care providers and connect families with licensed care. North Carolina has a network of CCR&R agencies covering all 100 counties, and they serve two audiences: parents searching for child care and providers who need training, technical assistance, or help navigating the licensing process.

For a home daycare operator, your local CCR&R is one of the most useful free resources available. They offer:

• Pre-licensing workshop registration — the mandatory one-day Family Child Care Home Pre-Licensing Workshop is typically administered through your local CCR&R. This is a required step before you can apply for a DCDEE license.
• Training and professional development — many CCR&R agencies offer approved training courses that count toward your annual ongoing education hours. This includes health and safety training, curriculum development, and business management for child care providers.
• Technical assistance — a CCR&R specialist can visit your home before your official DCDEE inspection and help you identify potential compliance issues. This is not a formal inspection, but it functions as a mock review.
• Provider referral listings — once you are licensed, your local CCR&R includes your program in their referral database, which families use to find care. This is free advertising to parents in your service area.

To find your local CCR&R, use the DCDEE directory at ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov or the statewide CCR&R page at Early Years NC.

Smart Start and the NC Partnership for Children

Smart Start is North Carolina's early childhood initiative, administered through the NC Partnership for Children (NCPC) and a network of 75 local partnerships across the state. Unlike the DCDEE, which handles licensing and regulation, Smart Start focuses on quality improvement and access — making sure child care is available, affordable, and good.

For home daycare operators, Smart Start local partnerships can provide:

• Quality improvement grants — funding for materials, equipment, curriculum resources, or minor home modifications that help your program meet higher star-rating standards. These grants vary by county and availability, so check with your local partnership directly.
• Scholarship funds for training — some partnerships cover tuition for CDA (Child Development Associate) coursework, community college early childhood classes, or specialized training programs that earn staff education points toward higher star ratings.
• Health and safety resources — connections to local Child Care Health Consultants (CCHCs) who can help with health policy development, nutrition planning, and communicable disease management.
• Business coaching — some partnerships offer workshops or one-on-one support for the business side of running a home daycare: budgeting, tax preparation, enrollment management, and tuition setting.

The availability and scope of Smart Start programs vary significantly by county. Forsyth County's partnership may offer different grants than Wake County's. The statewide directory at smartstart.org lists all local partnerships with contact information.

How to Access These Resources

Neither CCR&R nor Smart Start provides funding automatically. You need to proactively reach out to your local agencies, ask what programs are currently available, and apply. The practical steps:

1. Before licensing: Contact your local CCR&R to register for the pre-licensing workshop and ask about any startup support programs for new family child care home applicants
2. During your first year: Ask your CCR&R about technical assistance visits and approved training courses that count toward your first-year 20-hour health and safety requirement
3. When pursuing a higher star rating: Contact your local Smart Start partnership about quality improvement grants, NCRLAP preparation assistance, and training scholarships that build staff education points
4. Ongoing: Stay on both agencies' mailing lists for grant announcements, workshop schedules, and new programs. Funding cycles change, and programs that were full last quarter may have openings this quarter.

These are not revenue streams — they are support resources that reduce your startup and operating costs while helping you earn the star rating that unlocks subsidy eligibility. The investment of time to connect with your local CCR&R and Smart Start partnership is modest, and the returns — free training, equipment grants, technical assistance, and referral listings — compound throughout your first years of operation.

For a complete guide to launching your home daycare including when to connect with each support agency, the North Carolina daycare licensing guide sequences these resources into the overall licensing timeline.

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