NC Daycare Environmental Testing and Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids

After you receive your license, DCDEE expects you to enroll in North Carolina's Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids program. This is not optional. The program tests your home for lead paint, lead in drinking water, and asbestos — three hazards that children in older homes are especially vulnerable to.

What the Program Covers

Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids is a state-run initiative coordinated through RTI International, the contracted vendor. The evaluations are free to licensed child care providers. The program covers:

• Lead-based paint testing: Inspectors check painted surfaces in care areas, especially in homes built before 1978 when lead paint was still legal. They look for chalking, peeling, or flaking paint that could produce lead dust.
• Lead in drinking water: Water samples are collected from the taps children use for drinking and food preparation.
• Asbestos hazard assessment: Older homes may have asbestos in floor tiles, insulation, popcorn ceilings, or pipe wrapping. The assessment identifies whether asbestos-containing materials are present and whether they pose a disturbance risk.

The Water Sampling Protocol

Water testing follows a first-draw sampling protocol. The inspector collects a water sample from a tap that has been stagnant (unused) for at least eight hours — typically first thing in the morning before anyone has run the water. This first-draw sample captures the highest possible lead concentration because lead leaches from pipes and fixtures while the water sits.

If the first-draw sample exceeds 10 parts per billion (ppb) of lead, immediately shut off or restrict access to the tap, post "Do Not Use" signage, notify parents within five days, and post the results. Follow the program's mitigation instructions before using the tap again; a filter or fixture replacement may be part of the mitigation process.

For homes on private wells, a separate comprehensive water analysis is required before licensure and every two years thereafter. The local Environmental Health Department conducts this test, checking for coliform bacteria and lead contamination in addition to the Clean Classrooms sampling.

Lead Paint Response

If peeling or flaking paint is found in a pre-1978 home, your DCDEE consultant or the local Environmental Health Specialist refers the home for a formal lead investigation. If lead hazards are confirmed, you must complete an approved remediation plan — which can range from encapsulation (painting over with lead-encapsulating primer) to full abatement (stripping and replacing the affected surfaces).

Failure to remediate triggers administrative enforcement, including a provisional license or possible license suspension if a child in your care shows elevated blood lead levels.

The threshold is serious. North Carolina law (G.S. 130A-131.7(7) and 10A NCAC 09 .1707(2)) requires that licensed child care homes be free of lead poisoning hazards. The state does not negotiate on this point.

Asbestos Rules

If the assessment identifies asbestos-containing materials that are intact and undisturbed — floor tiles in good condition, for example — you typically do not need removal. The requirement is that the materials not pose an exposure risk.

If asbestos materials are damaged, crumbling, or in an area where children could disturb them, professional abatement by a licensed asbestos contractor is required. Do not attempt to remove or seal asbestos materials yourself.

Enrollment and Timing

Enroll in the Clean Classrooms portal after receiving your license. The state's ARPA-funded enrollment deadline was extended to May 31, 2025 due to Hurricane Helene impacts. That deadline has passed; check the current portal for any updated deadlines and enrollment status.

The testing is free, but scheduling depends on RTI International's regional availability. In some areas, wait times run several weeks. Enroll as soon as your license is issued so testing happens while you are still in your initial operating months.

The North Carolina Home Daycare Licensing Guide includes a step-by-step environmental safety chapter covering the Clean Classrooms enrollment process, private well testing requirements, and remediation options.

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