State Organizations and Associations

North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute
NCCAI exists to impove the well-being of North Carolinians from birth to adolescence.

North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children
The mission of NC-aeyc is to promote quality and form partnerships which will support programs and professionals serving North Carolina's young children from birth to age eight. The association is committed to acting on behalf of all young children with the primary focus being on the care, education and services available to them.

North Carolina Library Association
The goal of the NCLA is to promote libraries, library and information services, and librarianship; and to champion intellectual freedom and literacy programs

Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina
Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina was founded in 1979 by a group of concerned citizens. As the North Carolina Chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America, their mission is to end child abuse in NC.

North Carolina State Government

North Carolina Division of Child Development
The Division of Child Development oversees all aspects of child care services in North Carolina. They regulate child care facilities and respond to reports of illegal child care operations and allegations of abuse or neglect in child care facilities. They also oversee the state's subsidized child care program, offering financial assistance to help eligible families pay for child care. The Division of Child Development promotes education and training for child care workers, and administers other early childhood initiatives to improve the quality of care for all children in the state.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
The NC Department of Health and Human Services protects the public health, fosters self-reliance and helps the vulnerable. We work in local offices, schools and hospitals, building a stronger North Carolina by strengthening our citizens in all 100 counties.

Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services
The Division makes policies and rules and monitors public services to people with mental illness, developmental disabilities or substance abuse throughout North Carolina. Services are provided through local programs statewide.

North Carolina Department of Social Services
At the North Carolina Division of Social Services (NC DSS), they are dedicated to assisting and providing opportunities for individuals and families in need of basic economic support and services to become self-supporting and self reliant. The Division of Social Services advocates for and encourages individuals to seek actions appropriate to their needs. Furthermore, they recognize our responsibility through teamwork and professional effort to assist in this process. Toward this end, in cooperation with county departments of social services, and other public and private entities, they seek to identify needs, devise and focus resources, and deliver services responsively and compassionately.

NC Health Choice
As of October 1998, families who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford rising health insurance premiums are able to get free or reduced price comprehensive health care for their children. The plan, "NC Health Choice for Children," is the same as coverage provided for the children of state employees and teachers, plus vision, hearing and dental benefits.

North Carolina Office of the Governor
Visit the website of North Carolina Governor Mike Easley.

North Carolina Office of the Secretary of State
Visit the website of North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall.

North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
The North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has a mission to protect citizens of North Carolina from juvenile crime. The Department utilizes four approaches to accomplish this mission.

North Carolina Smart Start
Smart Start is a public-private early childhood initiative to help ALL North Carolina children enter school healthy and ready to succeed. Its unique, comprehensive approach allows communities to make decisions and plans that are specific to the needs of young children and families. Smart Start services are targeted for children 0-5 and their families and include making sure child care is of high quality and affordable and accessible to those who need it, as well as health services and screenings and resources for family support.

NC Support Our Students
The Support Our Students (SOS) Program is a community based after-school initiative that provides support and guidance to young people by involving them in constructive activities to keep them focused and out of trouble. The SOS Program provides high quality after-school activities for school-aged children through award of grants to neighborhood and community-based organizations. These programs provide comprehensive, collaborative delivery of services by public and non-public agencies to these children.

Educational Resources

Ayudate.org
Ayudate.org, containing resources for the NC Hispanic/Latino community, is produced in partnership with the North Carolina Governor's Advisory Council of Hispanic/Affairs, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, and El Pueblo, Inc. with funds from USDA AgrAbility Program.

Communities in Schools North Carolina (CISNC)
Their mission is to champion the connection of needed community services with schools to help young people successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for life.

The Exceptional Children's Assistance Center
Since 1980, The Exceptional Children's Assistance Center (ECAC) has grown from an all volunteer parent organization to a full service parent training and information center serving families in North Carolina. ECAC now employees 20 full and part-time staff members and, in addition to the main office in Davidson, has satellite offices in Raleigh and New Bern.

Frank Porter Graham Center
The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center (FPG) was founded in 1966 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is dedicated to improving the lives of young children and their families through research, teaching, and public service.Together with the UNC Neuroscience Center, FPG serves as one the nation’s 14 Mental Retardation Research Centers.

North Carolina Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center
The NC Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center promotes safe and healthy environments for children in child care settings by providing information, resources and referrals to the child health and child care communities.

North Carolina Professional Development Planning Tool: An interactive web site for child care professionals
To build quality child care there are critical components such as having adequate space, small group sizes and workable adult: child ratios. Another critical element is continuing professional development for those who work in the field. A working knowledge of how children grow and develop is essential for adults who interact with and teach children. Child care providers, teachers, resource and referral consultants, mentors, parents, and children all benefit from professional development. This site will serve as a partner in developing your professional development plan.

Visit NC
Find some great destination sites in NC. The Official North Carolina Travel web site is produced by the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development.

Last updated Aug 03, 2005

October 13, 2008