Press Releases

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the Food and Nutrition Services program has expanded participation in the FNS Online Purchasing Program from seven retailers to 11. FNS recipients can access these 11 retailers online to make food purchases with their Electronic Benefit Transfer cards.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the launch of the Division of Child and Family Well-Being to help achieve its vision of children who are healthy and who thrive in safe, stable and nurturing families, schools and communities.

To improve the health of Medicaid beneficiaries, and to reduce costs, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is building an innovative health care delivery system with a payment structure that rewards better health outcomes, integrates physical and behavioral health, and invests in non-medical interventions. The effort is part of Managed Care Transformation.

With COVID-19 cases reaching record highs last month, North Carolina laboratories reported 2,627,371 tests performed across the state during the month of January. This included 11 days with more than 100,000 tests and a one-day high of 135,031 on Jan. 12. To help meet the unprecedented demand for testing and promote greater equity in test availability, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ COVID-19 response team shipped 441,038 rapid antigen test kits across North Carolina since Dec. 23, 2021.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the approval of its staffing support request, in partnership with Atrium Health, to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. North Carolina is also receiving an additional 25 Advanced Life Support Ambulances.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live Cafecito and Spanish language tele-town hall on Thursday, Feb. 3, from 6 –7p.m. to discuss COVID-19 vaccines, boosters, testing and more.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced due to global shortages and delays in shipments it was unable to include return envelopes in the monthly mailing of the Food and Nutrition Services recertifications for February. Return envelopes will likely not be included in the monthly mailings for March as well.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated vaccination data from the U.S. Department of Defense and Federal Bureau of Prisons to more accurately reflect the county of residence for the person vaccinated. The updated data will result in the vaccination rate changing for the state and for several counties on the North Carolina COVID-19 Dashboard.

North Carolina households receiving Food and Nutrition Services benefits will continue to receive the maximum amount for their household size for the month of February, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced. FNS recipients have been receiving the maximum allotment, though they may qualify for less, since March 2020 to help families access food during the COVID-19 pandemic and compensate for financial and economic hardships resulting from the pandemic and widespread business and industry closures.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today launched its first online data dashboard visualizing information and trends about the statewide early care and learning network.