State Profile | North Carolina

The Afterschool Investments project has developed profiles for each state to provide a snapshot of the "state of afterschool," as well as an opportunity to compare afterschool activities across the country. This profile provides key data and descriptions of the afterschool landscape, which includes a range of out-of-school time programming that can occur before and after school, on weekends, and during summer months. It is designed to serve as a resource for policymakers, administrators, and providers.

• Quick Facts
• Statewide Initiatives
• Notable Local Initiatives
• Statewide Organizations
• Additional Resources
• Notes and Sources

Quick Facts

Demographics

For more demographic information, visit http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/statepro/index.html

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

CCDF Administrative Overview

Settings

Where CCDF-Subsidy school age-children are served:

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool

"Resource and referral and school-age" targeted funds:
Funds may be used to provide technical assistance and training to school-age care providers in each of the 18 CCR&R regions and to increase the numbers and quality of licensed spaces dedicated to school-age children. In each CCR&R Region, one School-Age specialist is employed to provide child care providers with targeted services to improve the quality and availability of care to school-age children.  Services include increased access to resources, technical assistance, and training specific to school-age care.

Other quality activities:
Funds may be used for comprehensive consumer education, grants or loans to providers to assist in meeting state licensing requirements, and to monitor school age program to assure licensing and regulatory requirements are met. They can also be used for professional development, activities to promote inclusive child care, and activities which increase parental choice.

Provider Reimbursement Rates

Tiered Reimbursement Rate System:
North Carolina employs a monthly rate structure with a special rate for school-age children. The maximum rate for a one-star (the lowest of a five-star licensure system) provider is $423 per child per month for daily care; the five-star center rate is $567.00 per child per month for daily care.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

Program Licensing Policies

Systems/Quality Supports

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)

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Statewide Initiatives

Child Care and Development Fund

• Tiered Licensing. The North Carolina Division of Child Development includes school-age programs in its 5-Star Quality Rated Licensing system. School-age programs, whether they are stand-alone, in combination with, or located solely in local public schools, must meet all licensing requirements for a child care center, with some age-specific exceptions noted in the state Child Care Requirements and Child Care Handbook. Star-license ratings are based upon how well programs score in the areas of staff education and program standards. School-age programs have opportunities to increase their license ratings, either independently or through technical assistance provided by the NC School-Age Quality Improvement Project. School-age programs with a five-star quality rating receive the maximum CCDF reimbursement rate for subsidy-eligible children.

  For more information, see http://www.ncchildcare.net.

• The NC School-Age Care Quality Improvement Project. In State FY 08-09, the North Carolina Division of Child Development allocated approximately six percent (6%) of the state’s Child Care and Development Fund Quality Improvement dollars to the NC School-Age Care Quality Improvement Project. This program seeks to increase the quality and availability of licensed school-age child care services across the state. First launched in 2004, it funds highly trained specialists through the state’s Child Care Resource & Referral system that provide training and on-site technical assistance to school-age programs in North Carolina. Training is developed in conjunction with the NC Division of Child Development and is based upon research and best practice. Training topics include: Basic School-Age Care, environmental assessments, licensure, health and safety, and developmentally appropriate activities. The NC School-Age Care Quality Improvement Project collaborates with many state and local partners including the NC 4-H Youth Development Program (NC Cooperative Extension), community colleges, universities, public health agencies, non-profits and public schools.

Non-Profit Organizations Supporting Afterschool Care

• North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs (NCCAP). In 2002, the Mott Foundation awarded funds to the Public School Forum of North Carolina to oversee the continued development of a statewide network for afterschool programs that connects all state partners and local program leaders. NCCAP is also supported by the NC Department of Public Instruction, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Child Development, the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.  NCCAP aims to expand and sustain access to afterschool programs in North Carolina by:
  • Developing common standards for high-quality school-based and school-linked afterschool programs;
  • Aligning systems of assessment and evaluation of federal- or state-supported afterschool programs;
  • Building the capacity of afterschool providers through coordinated training and technical assistance;
  • Building local and state support for expanding and sustaining high quality school-based and school-linked afterschool opportunities.
• Support our Students (SOS) Program. The North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (DJJDP) administers Support Our Students (SOS) funds for the implementation of after school programs designed to create supportive extra learning opportunities that have a positive impact on the lives of school-aged children. DJJDP awards SOS grants to a community or neighborhood based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit  tax exempt organizations, school system or local government agency to run quality after-school programs for students during the afternoon hours when the majority of juvenile crime occurs.  During fiscal year 2007-2008, programs served over 14,000 youth in over 200 sites across the state of NC.  One grant is awarded to each of North Carolina’s 100 counties ranging from $68,000 to $212,000.

  The SOS Program is governed by legislation (NCGS 143B-152.1) which outlines the following six (6) goals:

  1. Reduce the number of students who are unsupervised after school, otherwise known as "latch-key" children.
  2. Improve the academic performance of students participating in the program.
  3. Meet the physical, intellectual, emotional, and social needs of students participating in the program and improve their attitudes and behavior.
  4. Improve coordination of existing resources and enhance collaboration so as to provide services to school-aged children effectively and efficiently.
  5. Reduce juvenile crime in local communities served by the program.
  6. Recruit community volunteers to provide positive adult role models for school-aged children and to help supervise after-school activities.
• The North Carolina AfterSchool Coalition (NCASC) is the state National Afterschool Association (NAA) affiliate. NCASC’s mission is to develop, support, and promote quality programs for school-age children and youth during out-of-school time through:
  
  
  1. Promoting networking and collaboration among individuals and organizations serving school-age children and youth in afterschool programs.
  2. Providing opportunities for professional development by offering training to and sharing information with afterschool professionals and supporters.
  3. Advocating for the out-of-school time needs of school-age children and youth statewide and nationally.
  4. Promoting NAA Accreditation and the North Carolina School –Age Rated License.

  For more information, see http://www.ncafterschool.org

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Notable Local Initiatives

• Partners in Out-of-School Time (POST) is a local intermediary in Mecklenburg County that is dedicated to ensuring that all school-age children and youth in Mecklenburg County have access to high-quality programs, activities, and opportunities when school is closed.   The purpose of POST is to build the capacity of individuals and organizations that provide for and support school-age youth in a number of ways: advocating for the needs of school-age youth and their families; coaching program leaders serving youth; and acting as a clearinghouse for information on quality, funding, policy, and professional development. POST operates in collaboration with partners in Mecklenburg County, across both Carolinas, and nationally, to advance youth development. Its primary constituents are children, youth, and families; out-of-school time providers; public policy makers and funders (e.g., city, county, federal, public schools); and private funders (e.g., foundations, corporations, United Way, and Arts & Science Council).  Funding for this effort comes from public and private partners including the city and local foundations.

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Statewide Organizations

National AfterSchool Association Affiliate:

North Carolina Division of Child Development
2201 Mail Service Center
319 Chapanoke Road, Suite 120
Raleigh, NC  27699-2201
Phone:  In State 1-800-859-0829 or 919-662-4499
Email:  Mary.Staak@ncmail.net
Web:  http://ncchildcare.net

NC School-Age Quality Improvement Project
Southwestern Child Development Commission, Inc.
PO Box 250
Webster, NC  28788
Email:  lorijones@hughes.net
Phone:  828-286-8185
Web: http://www.childcareresourcesinc.org/community/council.aspx

North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs, NCCAP
c/o Public School Forum of North Carolina
3739 National Drive, Suite 100
Raleigh, NC 27612
Phone: 919-781-6833
Email:  info@ncforum.org
Web: http://www.nccap.net

NC Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Support our Students Program (SOS)
Linda Wheeler Hayes, Secretary
1805 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC  27699-1805
Phone:  919-789-5580
Web:  http://www.ncdjjdp.org/

Partners in Out-of-School Time (POST)
1609 East 5th Street
Charlotte, NC 28204-2486
Phone: 704-376-1845
Web: http://www.postcarolinas.org/

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Additional Resources

State Child Care Administrators:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title=ccdf

State TANF Contacts:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/states/tanf-dr.htm

21st Century Community Learning Centers Contacts:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/contacts.html

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Notes and Sources

Demographics

Total population, 2008: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008, U.S. Census Bureau.

Number of children ages 5-12, 2008: Estimates of the Resident Population by Single-Year of Age and Sex for the United States and States: July 1, 2007, U.S. Census Bureau.

Percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch rate, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Note: Most recent data.

Percent of K-12 students in Title I "schoolwide" schools, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Schools enrolling at least 40 percent of students from poor families are eligible to use Title I funds for schoolwide programs that serve all children in the school. Note: Most recent data.

Child Care and Development Fund

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is the largest federal funding source for child care. States receive a funding allocation determined by formula and have broad flexibility to design programs that provide child care subsidies for low-income children under the age of 13 and to enhance the quality of child care for all children. Federal CCDF funding consists of mandatory, matching, and discretionary funds. Federal law requires that states spend at least 4 percent of their CCDF funds as well as additional targeted funds on activities to improve the quality and availability of child care. CCDF administrative data in this and the following sections is from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau, as reported by States, unless otherwise noted.

FFY09 CCDF Allocation: Funding allocations are based on appropriation and do not reflect any reallotted or redistributed funds that may occur at a later date.

FFY09 state MOE plus match: In order to receive Federal matching funds, a state must expend Maintenance of Effort funds. Note that this does not capture actual expenditures, only the minimum required to draw down all available federal funds.

FFY09 Tribal CCDF Allocation: Federal CCDF Funds are awarded directly to Federally-recognized Indian Tribes.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funding: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) appropriates an additional $2 billion in one-time CCDF Discretionary funding available to State, Territory and Tribal Lead Agencies in FY09 as part of the economic stimulus package.

FFY07 total quality expenditures: This data includes FY07 and prior year funds expended for quality from each of the CCDF funding streams (mandatory, matching, and discretionary) and expenditures under targeted funds for infant and toddler, school-age care and resource and referral. This figure provides information obtained from state financial reports submitted for FY07.

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool: Portions of CCDF discretionary funds are targeted specifically for resource and referral and school-age child care activities as well as for quality expansion. (These funds are in addition to the required 4 percent minimum quality expenditure.)

Maximum rate for school-age category: Rates are listed for center-based care, family child care, and license exempt programs; where rates vary by region or county, the rate for the most populated urban area is given.

Standardized monthly school-age rate: Monthly rate for a child, age 8, in care after school during the school year at a center in the most costly district for four hours per day, 20 days per month. Calculated (in the lowest tier of a tiered system) using information from the FY2008-2009 State CCDF Plan, including rate structures, as submitted to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Separate subsidy rates for different age ranges and Tiered Reimbursement Rate Systems: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Child Care Bureau. Report of State Plans FY2008-2009.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/data/2007/tanf_2007.html.

Program Licensing and Accreditation Policies

States with separate school-age licensing standards and states with specialized requirements for child care centers serving school-age children: National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) and National Association for Regulatory Administration, 2007 Child Care Licensing Study, see: http://www.naralicensing.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=160.

Ratio of children to adults in school-age setting: Data from the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), available at: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov.

School-based, school-age programs exempt from licensing: Research conducted by Afterschool Investments, March 2008.

Systems/Quality Supports

School-age credential: NCCIC, State Professional Development System Credentials for Individuals, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/pd-credentials.html.

Statewide quality rating system: NCCIC, Quality Rating Systems: Definitions and Statewide Systems, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/qrs-defsystems.html.

Statewide afterschool network: National Network of Statewide Afterschool Networks, see: http://www.statewideafterschoolnetworks.net/.

21st Century Community Learning Centers

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program is a state formula grant. Funds flow to states based on their share of Title I, Part A funds. Data from the U.S. Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers Office and the 21st CCLC Profile and Performance Information Collection System as of July 2009.

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The Child Care Bureau awarded a technical assistance contract to The Finance Project for the Afterschool Investments project. The goals of the Afterschool Investments project include:

• Identifying ways that state and communities are using Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidy and quality dollars to support out-of-school time programs, and sharing these practices and approaches with other states;
• Identifying administrative and implementation issues related to CCDF investments in out-of-school time programs, and providing information and context (about barriers, problems, opportunities) as well as practical tools that will help CCDF administrators make decisions; and
• Identifying other major programs and sectors that are potential partners for CCDF in supporting out-of-school time programs and providing models, strategies, and tools for coordination with other programs and sectors.

Contact Us:

Email:
afterschool@financeproject.org

Web:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/

The Finance Project
1401 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-587-1000
Web: www.financeproject.org

The Afterschool Investments project’s State Profiles are designed to provide a comprehensive overview of noteworthy State and local initiatives across the country. Inclusion of an initiative in the Profiles does not represent an endorsement of a particular policy or practice.