Press Releases

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is providing financial assistance to help essential workers afford child care and bonuses to child care teachers and staff who provide care during the COVID-19 crisis.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has partnered with the North Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) network to launch a hotline to provide child care options for children of critical workers who do not have access to typical care because of COVID-19 closures.

Stakeholders from across the state in early childhood health, education and child welfare will gather Wednesday for the 2019 NC Early Childhood Summit in Raleigh to launch the release of the NC Early Childhood Action Plan.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today released a draft of the state’s Early Childhood Action Plan, following Governor Roy Cooper’s Executive Order in August directing DHHS to spearhead the development of a statewide early childhood plan. The public is encouraged to review and comment on the draft plan by Nov. 30. 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has announced flexibility for families enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to help those affected by Hurricane Florence. This temporary flexibility will apply to participants enrolled in the WIC program whose WIC office is closed or experiencing hardships related to impacts from the hurricane.

The Center for the Support of Families today released two preliminary reform plans, one for child welfare and one for social services. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will use the preliminary recommendations as a roadmap to identify ways to improve support to and oversight of social services programs, enhance child safety and protect children from harm.

Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order directing North Carolina to create an Early Childhood Action Plan. The plan to be developed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will be devoted to the health, safety, and developmental and academic readiness of young children across the state.

Effective Monday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will temporarily assume leadership of child welfare services at the Cherokee County Department of Social Services, as authorized under state law.

The N.C. Department of Health Human Services' Division of Social Services collaborated with the Office of State Budget and Management, which today released a request for proposal seeking a qualified vendor to conduct assessments of the state's current social services and child welfare programs and develop a comprehensive plan for reform. Proposals are due Nov. 16, and a contract will be in place by March 1, 2018.

The new technology will also enable cross-county communication when families move across county lines, with the goal of better protecting the more than 11,000 children and youth in foster care and 125,000 children who receive Child Protective Services assessments each year.