WAGE$ & AWARD$: Spread the Word!

North Carolina has two education-based salary supplement programs to help support the early care and education workforce. The Child Care WAGE$® Program provides education-based salary supplements to eligible educators working with children birth to age five through a collaboration between local Smart Start partnerships who choose to participate, the North Carolina Partnership for Children and the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE). Counties that currently participate can be found here. Infant-Toddler Educator AWARD$® Plus, funded solely by the DCDEE, offers similar awards to teachers and family child care providers working at least 30 hours per week with children birth through age two. Click here to read more!