Press Releases

North Carolina families with young children can now take advantage of free online parenting support programs. The Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) offers advice and ideas to help parents create a positive home environment for their children. This resource is now accessible to North Carolina parents through the program’s Triple P Online and Teen Triple P Online courses. 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released today an interactive online dashboard, "Alcohol & the Public's Health in North Carolina," which provides alcohol-related information on all 100 counties. Assembled by the Chronic Disease and Injury Section of the Division of Public Health, the dashboard was developed in response to requests from DHHS' public health partners who have asked for more accessible data related to excessive alcohol use.

High school students are at risk of becoming addicted to nicotine, a fact confirmed by a North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services analysis of vaping devices confiscated from students at seven schools in various parts of the state.

To highlight the importance of healthy, caring connections between children and their parents and the communities in which they live, Governor Roy Cooper declared April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in North Carolina.

Eight museums in North Carolina have been added to the list of attractions offering free or reduced admission to families that receive benefits from the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) program. The project started in 2017 at the state’s aquariums as a joint initiative between the North Carolina Departments of Natural and Cultural Resources and Health and Human Services and was inspired by the national Museums for All program.  

North Carolinians struggling to pay heating costs have until March 29 to apply for help. The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program has $11 million in funding available to cover up to $400 for heating assistance per family. 

Because of the federal government shutdown at the beginning of the year, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services continues to adjust distribution schedules for Food and Nutrition Services benefits.  “We thank families for their patience and understanding during this difficult and uncertain period while we’ve worked to make sure their access to food was uninterrupted. Now it’s time to return them to their normal benefit cycles,” said DHHS Deputy Secretary for Human Services Tara Myers. 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today released guidance detailing the eligibility requirements and enrollment processes for Behavioral Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disability Tailored Plans as a part of the Department’s transition to integrated managed care. The Final Guidance document is available on the Medicaid Transformation website. 

The North Carolina 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.

Today at the Early Childhood Summit in Raleigh, Governor Roy Cooper will release the state's 2019 NC Early Childhood Action Plan. The plan provides a framework to galvanize coordinated, statewide public-private action to achieve 10 measurable goals for young children that address health, safety, family resilience and learning outcomes.