The quality of early care and education a young child receives has been shown to dramatically impact his or her social, emotional, physical and intellectual development, and ultimately success in school and life. CCSA provides technical assistance (TA) to child care centers and family child care homes as they work to improve program practices and standards in an effort to increase or maintain higher star-ratings.
For statewide technical assistance of infants/toddlers, visit our Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative page.
For professional development workshops, visit our Professional Development page.
Learn More About TA
We recognize the individual needs and goals of child care programs and tailor our services to meet the unique aspects of each site. We use a partnership approach to program change by building strong working relationships with our providers. We are committed to using research based teaching practices to improve early education settings. We also believe that sustained program quality requires ongoing professional development.
We seek to connect early childhood professionals with resources to enhance their skills and knowledge.
Why enroll in TA?
- Achieve the highest quality care and education for children
- Explore developmentally appropriate practices
- Focus on teaching and learning
- Access a team of early childhood experts
- Support your teachers and program staff members
- Improve communication skills to work with families
- Create the environment for early learning
- Successfully navigate the NC Quality Rated License and achieve 5 stars and beyond!
What does TA include?
- Professional development planning
- On-site consultation, teacher coaching and classroom demonstration
- Access to a variety of early childhood resources
- Assistance with national accreditation
- Assistance with assessment tools (i.e. environment rating scales)
- On-site, individualized training
- Help with curriculum planning and implementation
- Assistance with classroom enhancement and design (includes indoor and outdoor learning environments)
What does TA cost?
Your time and commitment to quality improvement is the only cost. This is a free service. TA services are funded through a variety of sources which include the NC Division of Child Development and Early Education, Durham’s Partnership for Children, Orange County Partnership for Young Children, and United Way of the Greater Triangle.
Is my program eligible?
Yes, if you:
- Are located in Durham, Orange or Wake County
- Serve children 6 weeks to 12 years old
- Are currently licensed or plan to get licensed through the North Carolina Rated License
Quality Enhancement Initiatives
Scaffolding School Readiness
Scaffolding School Readiness (SSR) provides coaching for teachers working in classrooms serving children age 3 years old focused on teacher interactions and methods for improving the social and emotional climate of the classroom. Available in Durham and Orange counties.
Ready Infant Toddler Classroom
Ready Infant Toddler Classroom (RITC) provides coaching for teachers working with children birth – 3 years old focused on teacher interactions, responsive caregiving, and early language support. Available in Durham County.
Accreditation Support
Accreditation Support provides coaching and consultation for child care centers wishing to achieve NAEYC National Accreditation. This is a long term process that helps child care centers prepare for NAEYC Accreditation. Participants will receive technical assistance, participate in Communities of Practice (support group), and work to complete the stages of the accreditation process. Financial support is available to help cover partial cost of each phase of the accreditation process. Available in Durham and Wake counties. Contact us to learn more.
Early Literacy
Early Literacy provides coaching to preschool classrooms to support teachers with implementing best practices related to early literacy. Teachers will receive coaching and literacy materials that will help to improve children’s skills in listening comprehension, oral language development, alphabetic knowledge, phonemic awareness, print knowledge and concepts. Teachers will also receive support on making reading kits to send home with families to help them engage with their children in the area of literacy. Available in Durham County. Contact us to learn more.
Technical Assistance – NC Rated License
CCSA is also available to provide technical assistance to child care centers and family child care homes to support improving program quality related to the NC Rated License system. Support includes opening/licensing a center or family child care home, school-age programs, preparing for Environment Rating Scales, and professional development planning. Available in Durham, Orange and Wake counties. Contact us to learn more.
Birth-to-Three Specialists
Birth-to-Three Specialists provides specialized coaching and support offered to licensed child care centers focused on implementing best practices for birth-to-three classrooms. Birth-to-Three specialists support teachers and directors through coaching and professional development to prepare the center for the NC Rated License process, in creating learning environments that support social-emotional development and with developing positive relationships with teachers and children. Available in Region 12 (Alamance, Caswell, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Orange, Vance, and Wake counties). Contact us to learn more.
Healthy Social Behaviors Specialists
The Healthy Social Behaviors (HSB) Project was designed to assist teachers in addressing challenging behaviors and in creating a proactive environment to ensure that children have developed the social-emotional competencies needed prior to entering school in order to succeed.
Shape NC: Healthy Starts for Young Children
Shape NC: Healthy Starts for Young Children, an initiative of Smart Start and BCBSNC Foundation, funded by the Corporation for National and Community Services (CNCS), is a multi-year initiative created to increase the number of children starting kindergarten at a healthy weight and ready to learn. Available in Orange and Durham counties.
Infant Toddler Intensive TA Model Pilot
The Infant Toddler Intensive Technical Assistance (TA) Model Pilot project is providing intensive/weekly TA, for a longer duration of one-to-two years, to a small caseload of infant and toddler teachers and their directors to improve the quality in these settings. The TA focuses on coaching and consultation using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) and the Program Administration Scale (PAS). The primary goals of the model pilot project are to train and support technical assistance specialists to become Master TAs; and to determine if intensive, long term support, based on strong relationships can sustain change and growth in early childhood providers; which in turn will provide better outcomes for children and families.
This project is currently being piloted in CCR&R Region 10, Randolph County, and Watauga County. Contact us to learn more.
CLASS® Assessments
The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) is an observation instrument developed to assess classroom quality in infant through third-grade classrooms. CLASS® helps teachers foster a secure, supportive base for learning and exploration. Providers learn how to nurture children’s early learning while responding to their needs. Over 200 research studies demonstrate that children in classrooms with more effective teacher-student interactions, as measured by CLASS®, have better social and academic outcomes.
TA Testimonials
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Support from a CCSA TA Specialist was the best thing that could have happened…she was there for me.
— Owner of Little Dreamers Home Day Care, Wake County
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The TA Specialist’s experience was invaluable for our staff and her approach meshed so well with everyone. I found her very knowledgeable and appreciated that she kept communication open, worked with each teacher individually to meet their needs, and demonstrated respect for all.
— Head Start Education Coordinator, Orange County
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I couldn’t have achieved NAEYC Accreditation without the CCSA TA Accreditation Specialist. I don’t feel personally that is a goal I would have been able to obtain for myself or my staff if I hadn’t had the help from Child Care Services Association.
— Director of Preston Academy, Wake County
Technical Assistance News
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This evaluation shows how a paradigm shift from preparing for teacher evaluations to coaching will better outcomes for children’s education.
Technical Assistance services are supported by the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education, with additional support from Durham’s Partnership for Children – a Smart Start Initiative, Orange County Partnership for Young Children, United Way of the Greater Triangle, and Wake County Smart Start.
