Child Care Services Association (CCSA) recognizes that in order to improve a child care system, comprehensive accurate data which identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the child care system must first be collected. Therefore, CCSA's research department conducts a broad array of studies to address issues related to child care.
In addition to county and statewide workforce assessments, CCSA
has conducted research and produced reports profiling such topics as child care system issues, subsidy, careers in early childhood, child care fees and after school care. These studies provide important information to policy makers in our state government and in
local communities.

Find the right early childhood career for you!
From child care providers to trainers, regulators and consultants, there is a wide variety of job opportunities available in the field of early childhood. This directory is intended to help you explore the many careers available in early childhood and learn more about the steps you might take to obtain a certain position. It also includes a list of local community colleges that offer programs in early childhood. If you would like to learn more about a particular career path or the educational resources available to help you along the way, contact Child Care Services Association at (919) 967-3272.

Careers in Early Childhood: A North Carolina Directory (1.5 meg PDF file | Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - Download Now)

Child Care in North Carolina - Fact Sheets by County
2011 fact sheets about child care, available for each county in North Carolina.

Child Care in North Carolina - Fact Sheet for the state - 2011 (100 kb PDF file | Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - Download Now)

The Impact of the Recession on Child Care Centers in North Carolina - A statewide survey published by the North Carolina Child Care Resource & Referral Council (NC CCR&R) in September 2009.

The Impact of the Recession on Child Care Centers in North Carolina (1.5 meg PDF file | Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - Download Now)

Durham County Child Care Workforce Study. In 2009, through funding from Durham’s Partnership for Children, Child Care Services Association conducted a countywide survey of center directors, teachers and family child care providers to develop a comprehensive study of the Durham County child care workforce and the facilities in which they work. We found that the past several years have shown progress for the child care community in Durham County. The strategies employed by the county to strengthen the workforce have led providers to increase their education and stay in the field for longer. The report below includes a summary of the workforce survey results and a comparison to similar data collected in 2003.

Durham County Child Care Workforce Study, Full Report (1.5 meg PDF file | Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - Download Now)

Durham County Child Care Workforce Study, Highlights (1.5 meg PDF file | Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - Download Now)

Who's Caring for Our Babies Now?  Revisiting the 2005 Profile of Early Care and Education for Children Birth to Three in North Carolina.
Since 2005, the state of North Carolina has made great strides in improving the quality of care for children birth to five years of age.  Preschoolers have seen a great increase in the quality and availability of care in the last three years.  However, the improvement in quality and availability of care for infants and toddlers has not been as great.  This study examines care in 2008 and shows how it has changed since 2005.

2008 Reports

	2008 Infant & Toddler State Report - Executive Summary (2 meg PDF file | Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - Download Now)
	2008 Infant & Toddler State Report (124 kb PDF file | Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - Download Now)

2003 North Carolina Child Care Workforce Study
As part of the North Carolina Needs and Resources Assessment, a statewide survey of the child care workforce was conducted in 2003. The workforce study provides comprehensive data on child care providers and on the facilities in which they work. This report includes a summary of the workforce survey results in North Carolina and a comparison of 2003 data to similar data collected in 2001. Survey response rates were 78% of center directors (n = 2,203 director surveys collected), 52% of teachers (n = 13,120 teacher surveys collected) and 78% of family child care providers (n = 2,337 family child care provider surveys collected).

Reports

	Working in Child Care in North Carolina: The North Carolina Child Care Workforce Survey 2003 (PDF file | Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - Download Now)
	2003 Workforce Survey: Full Reports by County
	North Carolina Workforce Fact Sheets by County

North Carolina Early Childhood Systems Study
Child Care Services Association partnered with national researchers and experts in the North Carolina early care and education system to conduct the 2005 North Carolina Early Childhood Systems Study. We hope that the findings of the study will help you better understand the early care and education system that provides opportunities for children, families, businesses and our economy.

Most studies review each piece of the early care and education system individually to determine if that particular piece of the system is working as intended. This study, however, focused on the system as a whole, by asking such questions as: How are the various pieces of the system working together? Where are there strengths? Where are there gaps?

Although the study shows that we have come a long way in building our early care and education system in North Carolina, we do still have gaps that impede our ability to maximize the potential of our youngest citizens and to fully utilize this system for economic development.

NC Early Childhood Systems Study (PDF files | Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - Download Now)