In North Carolina, 66% of parents of preschool children work and require some amount of child care. Given the demand of these specialized services, we can understand how vital it is to not just help retain providers in their careers, but to also contribute to their professional growth and continue strengthening the pipeline of early childhood educators.

Caring for children can be one of the most rewarding professions and one of the most challenging. There are a number of career opportunities in the early education field ranging from working in a child care center to owning a child care business to providing technical support to improve the quality of child care. The decision to choose an early childhood education career path or increase your existing knowledge can lead to endless opportunities. Take a step towards your educational goals by learning about organizations that can help you plan, finance, and capture your dream. Learn more by visiting the following websites:

• Smart Start of Forsyth County
• NC Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development
• NC Division of Child Development

Thinking of starting your own in-home child care program? Learn about North Carolina state requirements, programming standards, and better business practices by registering for the next pre-licensing workshop. Call (336) 245-4900 for registration and additional information.

The state of NC requires that all individuals working in child care facilities have background checks. Call CCRC at (336) 245-4900 and ask to speak with a Provider Specialist for more information.

Professional development is a vital component of the NC State licensure for child care. CCRC provides ongoing technical assistance and staff training, including CPR/First Aid, to child care professionals in Forsyth and surrounding counties. View the Training and Development Calendar to see a complete listing of current and up-coming workshops.

Are you interested in adding information about your child care program to our database? Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) maintains a database of over 800 legally operating child care programs in Region 10, consisting of Forsyth and 9-county area, including Alleghany, Ashe, Davie, Davidson, Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties. Parents accessing child care referral services will find information about your business by searching the online database or by calling our office. Please contact our database manager for more information.

CCRC offers training and professional support to family child care homes in Forsyth County to help improve the quality of their programs. Our Provider Specialists have experience in the child care field and focus specifically on the needs of family child care homes. They work alongside providers to help set goals and develop a professional development plan for their programs. Please call CCRC at (336) 245-4900 and ask to speak with a Provider Specialist if you are interested in participating in the Continuum of Professional Development.