Newsletter Articles

North Carolina has a long history of leading in early education. But panelists participating in the final session of the North Carolina Early Childhood Summit said we must do more to change early learning outcomes for all young children across the state—especially children of color.

A renowned researcher on early childhood encouraged North Carolina advocates to go beyond traditional thinking to improve the health, safety and well-being of the state's children.

The NC Department of Health and Human Services agency that promotes independence and dignity for North Carolina’s older citizens, recently recognized the extraordinary works of an individual, a local government agency and a stakeholder’s group for their ongoing work to meet the needs of North Carolina’s older citizens. 

Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed March 2018 as "Intellectual and Developmental Disability Awareness Month," and in doing so commends North Carolinians living with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, as well as the organizations and agencies that work with them.

NC Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen, MD, delivered the keynote address in early March to a group of nearly 200 social workers and social work students at the N.C. Museum of History as part of Social Work Advocacy Day.

Increased cooperation and cross-divisional partnerships were cited as essential to improving DHHS’ service to North Carolina families with Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf-Blind children at the 2019 National Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Conference, held March 5 in Chicago.

DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen and leaders and staff from across DHHS are reading to children to celebrate Week of the Young Child.

Eight NC Department of Health and Human Services employees received 2019 Richard Caswell Awards.

Susan Osborne, DHHS’ Assistant Secretary for County Operations, was recently awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

Born three months premature, Jesse Sykes was not expected to live longer than 24 hours. At age 2, she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy related to her premature birth. Doctors recommended she be put into a wheelchair, but her mother disagreed.

May is Stroke Awareness Month and a new Division of Public Health stroke prevention campaign, Small Steps, Bright Future, focuses on preventing stroke among African Americans who are at a disproportionate risk for stroke. 

Volunteers across DHHS observed Child Abuse Prevention Month by planting more than 5,000 Pinwheels for Prevention.

Wright School recently completed a building renovation, which began in November 2017.

DHHS offices in Raleigh collected 2,920 stuffed animals for the 2019 Bunny Drive, breaking last year’s all-time record of 2,817.