To be eligible, applicants must…
- Work in a participating/funded county
- Earn at or below the income cap ($17, $19 or $23/hour) selected by your local Smart Start partnership (raises due to stabilization grants/ARPA funds will not be counted in income calculations)
- Work with children ages birth to five
- Work at least 10 hours per week
- Work in a licensed child care program
- Have one of the levels of education listed on the WAGE$ salary supplement scale (haga clic aquí para escala de suplemento salarial en Español).
Participating Counties
Below is a list of participating counties in North Carolina. Not in N.C.? The Child Care WAGE$® Program can be licensed in other states.
Alamance
Alexander
Alleghany
Avery
Brunswick
Buncombe
Burke
Cabarrus
Caldwell
Cherokee
Clay
Cleveland
Columbus
Craven
Cumberland
Davidson
Davie
Durham
Edgecombe
Forsyth
Franklin
Gaston
Graham
Granville
Greene
Guilford
Halifax
Harnett
Haywood
Henderson
Hertford
Iredell
Jackson
Johnston
Lee
Lenoir
Lincoln
Macon
Martin
Mecklenburg
Mitchell
Montgomery
Moore
Nash
Northampton
Pitt
Randolph
Richmond
Robeson
Rockingham
Rowan
Rutherford
Stanly
Surry
Swain
Vance
Transylvania
Union
Warren
Wayne
Wilkes
Wilson
Yadkin
Yancey
If you don’t see your county listed, contact your local Smart Start Partnership for Children. If they are interested in participating, they may call 919-967-3272 for more information.
Apply
Ready to apply? We’re happy to help you through the application process.
Have eligibility questions? We can help!
Still unsure if you’re eligible? Call a WAGE$ specialist at 919-967-3272. We are available by phone Monday thru Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. When calling please reference WAGE$. If you are a current participant please also mention the county in which you work. You can also send us a message online.