Topics Related to Social Service

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced that 45 students across North Carolina are graduating this academic year from the NC Child Welfare Education Collaborative (CWEC), marking a significant step forward in the department’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the state’s child welfare workforce.

Learn about how the Child Welfare Education Collaborative helped Holly Royals become director of New Hanover County's Department of Social Services.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Aging is partnering with the state area agencies on aging and local service providers to distribute fans to eligible recipients through Operation Fan Heat Relief from May 1 – Oct. 31, 2026.

On April 1, NCDHHS and Positive Childhood Alliance NC (PCANC) held a community event at John Chavis Memorial Park in Raleigh to recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month in North Carolina.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and Positive Childhood Alliance NC (PCANC) recognize April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, proclaimed by Governor Josh Stein. North Carolina's 2026 Child Abuse Prevention Month campaign theme, "Positive Childhoods Start With Us," reminds us that everyone has a responsibility to create the conditions children and families need to thrive.

MEDIA ADVISORY — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and Positive Childhood Alliance NC (PCANC) are holding a community event as Governor Josh Stein proclaims April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in North Carolina. The free, family-friendly event will be held on Wednesday, April 1, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at John Chavis Memorial Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. The public and members if the media are invited to attend, plant pinwheels and enjoy the provided food, beverages and entertainment while supplies last.

STATEMENT — Effective Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will temporarily assume leadership of child welfare services at the Davidson County Department of Social Services (DCDSS), as authorized under state law. This is the sixth time NCDHHS has taken over a county’s department of social services.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has received funding for the 2026 Low Income Home and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) from federal partners. While the funding was delayed following the federal government shutdown, NCDHHS and county staff have been preparing so they would be ready to open for new Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) applications once federal funds were received. LIEAP and the Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) are two programs supported by LIHEAP block grant funding. North Carolinians who are eligible for LIEAP assistance

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the North Carolina Social Work Coalition on Workforce Development are partnering to create a Public Service Leadership Program (PSLP) that will strengthen the state’s social work workforce.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the introduction of three new Citizen Review Panels to evaluate child welfare services and make system improvement recommendations aimed at strengthening the safety and well-being of children and families across the state. Applications to serve on a Citizen Review Panel are open now at the NCDHHS Citizen Review Panels website and will remain open until Nov. 15, 2025.