CHILD CARE SERVICES ASSOCIATION
Leading efforts to strengthen accessible and affordable quality early care and education.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
CCSA's mission is to ensure affordable, accessible, high quality child care for all families by providing free child care referral services, financial assistance to low-income families, technical assistance to child care centers, and educational scholarships and salary supplements to child care professionals. Most of this work is done in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park area, except for referral services, which cover nine counties in central NC. CCSA’s Meal Services Program provides nutritious meals and snacks to approximately 1,300 children each day at child care centers in Wake, Durham, and Orange counties. Scholarships provided by the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Scholarship Program give child care professionals across North Carolina the means to obtain an education, and the Child Care WAGE$® and Infant-Toddle AWARD$ programs supplement their salary based that education.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Program
In 1990, Child Care Services Association created the Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) Early Childhood® Scholarship Program to address the issues of under-education, poor compensation and high turnover within the early childhood workforce. T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® provides educational scholarships to early care professionals and those who perform specialized functions in the early care system.
CCSA licenses T.E.A.C.H. in North Carolina and 23 other states to support the professional development, compensation and retention of child care professionals through the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® National Center.
Child Care WAGE$® Program
WAGE$ provides education-based salary supplements to low-paid teachers, directors and family child care providers working with children ages birth to 5. And while a salary supplement helps keep educated and motivated teachers in classrooms, WAGE$ is more than just a check. WAGE$ also serves to equalize the playing field by successfully reaching the diversity of the field.
Like the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship® Program, CCSA licenses WAGE$ across the U.S. WAGE$ is currently operating in six states across the country.
Child Care Resources and Referral
Child Care Services Association promotes the affordability, accessibility and quality of child care through a variety of services directed at child care facilities, the child care workforce, and families looking for child care assistance.
CCSA helps families with child care needs through Child Care Referral Central, a regional collaboration between CCSA and the Alamance, Caswell, Person, and Franklin-Granville-Vance Partnerships for Children. Child Care Referral Central refers families only to legally operating, licensed child care programs and programs/camps for school-age children and has data on high-quality programs in Alamance, Caswell, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Orange, Person, Vance and Wake counties in North Carolina.
CCSA also provides families with help paying for child care through a child care scholarship program and information about other forms of financial assistance that can help alleviate the high cost of child care.
Infant-Toddler Educator AWARD$
Infant-Toddler Educator AWARD$® (AWARD$) provides education-based salary supplements to low-paid early educators working full-time with children birth through age 2 in North Carolina. The program is designed to better compensate and retain well-educated teachers and family child care educators working with our youngest children.
spoonFULL, formerly CCSA's Meal Services Program
spoonFULL, formerly CCSA’s Meal Services Program, provides two nutritious meals plus one nutritious snack per day to children enrolled in participating child care centers. Following U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines, the catered meals provide ample portion sizes that meet or exceed Child and Adult Care Food Program standards.
By purchasing food in bulk, the Meal Services Program allows child care centers to purchase nutritional meals and snacks at an affordable rate, without having to maintain expensive kitchens. It also allows directors to focus more of their attention on quality care instead of on shopping, menu planning and cooking.
To participate in the Meal Services Program, centers must maintain at least a 3-star license or be working toward a 3-star license through one of CCSA’s local quality improvement projects. This program is available to child care programs in Durham, Orange and Wake counties in North Carolina.
Early Childhood Education Systems Research
Child Care Services Association recognizes that in order to improve an early care and education system, comprehensive, accurate data must be collected to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the system. Therefore, CCSA’s research department conducts a broad array of studies to address issues related to early care and education.
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.
To encourage the use and easy accessibility of data on the early care and education system, its users and providers, CCSA also created the North Carolina Early Care and Education Data Repository. This tool allows users to find data gathered from multiple data sources in one place. Users can find data at the county, region and state levels and can use pre-formatted fact sheets on various topics or can download spreadsheets of data.
Where we work
External reviews

Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of early childhood educators receiving scholarships through T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood(R) North Carolina
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Program
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of early childhood educators receiving salary support through Child Care WAGE$(R)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Child Care WAGE$® Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of infant-toddler educators receiving salary support through Child Care AWARD$(R)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Infant-Toddler Educator AWARD$
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of scholarships to help families pay for high quality child care
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Child Care Resources and Referral
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of early childhood educators receiving professional development and/or technical assistance
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of families receiving referrals through Child Care Referral Central
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Child Care Resources and Referral
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of states participating in T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood(R)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of meals provided to children by spoonFULL, CCSA's meal services program
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Infants and toddlers, Children
Related Program
spoonFULL, formerly CCSA's Meal Services Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
spoonFULL, CCSA's meal services program, provides high-quality and affordable nutritious meals and snacks to children enrolled in participating child care centers in Durham, Orange and Wake counties.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Working on the local, state and national levels, CCSA envisions a future where all children have equitable access to affordable, high quality early care and education to lay the foundation for successful life outcomes. The strategic plan lays out the goals CCSA will accomplish within the organization and externally with our partners and colleagues. Coupled with strategies and specific action steps, CCSA will provide supports for families, communities and the workforce to strengthen the early care and education system.
1) Build awareness of CCSA, our programs and the impact of our work.
• Implement strategies to tell the story of CCSA and highlight our work.
• Ensure consistent branding across all programs and evaluate re-branding.
• Increase our engagement on the national level.
2) Build capacity and support for the workforce to promote equitable, affordable access to quality early care and education for children and families.
• Provide the early childhood workforce with equitable access to programs and resources that improve education, compensation, and professionalism.
• Advocate for living wages on behalf of early childhood professionals.
• Improve quality through coaching, technical assistance and training.
• Sustain and increase the supply of quality child care in the region.
• Develop the North Carolina early childhood workforce registry.
3) Diversify funding sources to allow flexibility in the administration of services and programs and to support the sustainability of the organization.
• Create and execute a comprehensive development plan that maintains and grows government funding, and increases corporate, foundation and individual support.
• Build an internal culture of philanthropy.
• Market CCSA’s research services as a revenue source.
4) Develop the infrastructure to support a sustainable, high-functioning organization.
• Evaluate organizational structure to enhance communication, efficiency and collaboration. Make needed adjustments to reduce silos and redundancies and promote cost savings.
• Maximize opportunities for career advancement and growth.
• Continue to develop and operate as an employee-centric workplace.
• Embed diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the organization’s culture.
• Ensure that CCSA’s facilities, equipment and technology provide the infrastructure necessary to operate as a high quality organization.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Everyone wants their child to have the best chance at their best life, and CCSA works to ensure that every child has equal access to the affordable, high quality child care that will put them on a strong footing for success. Quality early education is vital to the success and growth of our young children, and research has shown that early experiences, vital for successful brain development, have an impact on children well into adulthood.
In Invest in Early Childhood Development: Reduce Deficits, Strengthen the Economy, James J. Heckman said, “The highest rate of return in early childhood development comes from investing as early as possible, from birth through age five, in disadvantaged families. Starting at age three or four is too little too late, as it fails to recognize that skills beget skills in a complementary and dynamic way…The best investment is in quality early childhood development from birth to five for disadvantaged children and their families" (2012).
Through our work with families and early childhood educators, and our research into the quality of early care in NC, CCSA puts all its available resources into ensuring that all children, regardless of their circumstance, can receive the quality care that is so pivotal in their early years. By supporting the early childhood educators and professionals themselves and allowing them to stay in their chosen field, CCSA is reducing the turnover in child care centers, increasing the quality of education the children receive there, and putting the next generation on a path toward success. And by prioritizing its technical assistance to programs serving children receiving subsidy for all its technical assistance projects, CCSA works closely with the centers with the highest number of families earning low-incomes, giving them a boost toward success for their staff and the children that attend. By supporting the careers and futures of today's early childhood educators, we are not only providing economic and social supports to that workforce, we are building tomorrow by ensuring that every child can grow, learn and be successful.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Founded in 1974, Child Care Services Association (CCSA) has worked to ensure affordable, accessible, high quality child care for all families through research, services and advocacy for nearly 50 years. We are more than just an agency working to improve child care; we are also an association of groups, individuals and volunteers committed to supporting the right of young children and their families to have the best possible life.
Headquartered in the Triangle region of North Carolina, CCSA is a leader and advocate in child care services on the local, state and national level. We collaborate with many partners, businesses and stakeholders to address needs within the child care system. CCSA is only a part of the broader community's commitment to create systemic changes affecting everyone.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
CCSA focuses on all aspects of early childhood education, with programs for families, children and early childhood educators; high-quality child care is so important for the brain development for young children, and CCSA works holistically to ensure that each child can grow and learn in a stable, secure environment with educated and motivated teachers trained in early childhood development.
In 2021-2022, we helped 2,381 families find the child care program that best met their needs and provided child care scholarships to 862 children to help ease the high cost of child care. In addition, CCSA’s Meal Services Program provided nutritious meals and snacks for nearly 1,400 children daily in Durham, Wake and Orange counties.
Last year, CCSA also offered scholarships to 1,955 early childhood educators through its T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® NC Program (T.E.A.C.H.), which helps teachers earn a debt-free education in early childhood development. Nearly 100% of T.E.A.C.H. recipients are women, and nearly half are first-generation college students.
In 2021-2022, 4,018 early childhood educators in North Carolina received a salary supplement through CCSA’s Child Care WAGE$® Program, which supplements the salaries of early childhood educators, one of the lowest paid professions in the U.S.; 1,337 infant and toddler teachers received an Infant-Toddler Educator AWARD$® salary supplement, helping to steady the early childhood turnover rate below the national average.
Nearly 676 teachers and directors received on-site technical assistance from CCSA and approximately 2,741 people attended CCSA’s ASK Conference and other professional development opportunities in 2021-2022.
Through CCSA’s T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® National Center, 22 states and D.C. operated T.E.A.C.H. programs and five states across the country operated WAGE$, allowing 15,318 people to receive T.E.A.C.H. scholarships and more than 9,488 people to participate in WAGE$.
Under contract with Durham County Government, CCSA began Durham’s initiative for universal preschool, Durham PreK. As of 2019, 16 centers are now Durham PreK sites, where CCSA educates families about the importance of high-quality early education and helps community-based early education programs meet the Durham PreK standards through quality improvement and technical assistance, including weekly on-site coaching for child care centers and professional development for educators.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
CHILD CARE SERVICES ASSOCIATION
Board of directorsas of 01/19/2023
Sharon Hirsch
Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina
Aleksandra Holod
American Institute for Research
Sharon Hirsch
Prevent Child Abuse NC
Richard Burton
Community Volunteer
Dan Hudgins
Community Volunteer
Harold Sellars
Community Volunteer
Michelle Peck
BCBSNC
Jennifer Lacewell
White Rock Child Development Ctr.
Chris Ratte
F&M Bank
Chris Willett
Beemer Hadler & Willett PA
Khari Garvin
United Way of Greater Greensboro
Ana De Hoyos O’Connor
San Antonio College
Ana Elisa Sanchez
Casa Club Spanish Immersion Preschool
Mamie Watson
First Presbyterian Day School
Chris Willett
Beemer Hadler & Willett, PA
Davina Boldin-Woods
First Presbyterian Child Development Center
Sheresa Boone Blanchard
East Carolina University
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data