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Quarterly Newsletter
July 2025 Edition
| | You are choosing one of the most impactful paths there is. Every class you take, every hour you study and every child you encounter is part of the foundation you’re building—not just for yourself, but for generations to come. | | Child Care Services Association Rebrands as Early Years | |
As you may have heard, Child Care Services Association rebranded as Early Years on November 1, 2024. We are excited about the rebranding as it reinforces our organization’s mission to advocate for equitable early care and education, and represents the complex work the organization undertakes while keeping children at the forefront.
With this rebranding to Early Years please note the following:
- Our voicemail greeting has changed to Early Years.
- Our website is now earlyyearsnc.org.
- The TEACH NC email address is teachnc@earlyyearsnc.org.
- There are new logos for Early Years and TEACH Early Childhood® NC. Correspondence has been updated with the new logos.
- All checks should be made out to Early Years.
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| Messages From the NC Institute for Child Development Professionals | | |
Early Educator Certification News
We are sharing amazing news from the North Carolina Institute for Child Development Professionals (the Institute). We are pleased to announce that we are modernizing the Early Educator Certification (EEC) System. We heard from more than 1,300 EEC/endorsement survey participants, and we are currently underway to streamline and digitize the application process that will allow you to complete an online application with an established online payment process. We want to simplify and enhance the System while eliminating familiar challenges, such as sending checks and overpayments, while keeping your renewals current with reminder notifications. The EEC System is voluntary and is the only system in North Carolina that certifies and recognizes the individual education of the early childhood workforce, and endorses childcare administrators and professionals providing technical assistance and professional development to early childhood educators.
Current management of our EEC System has been undergoing a transition that will end on June 30, 2025. However, we want to ensure that all systems are running smoothly; therefore, we will “pause” processing for 30 days, unless an emergency requires processing during the 30-day period. Please continue to submit your manual applications to us through June 25, 2025. We are excited and “ready, set and go” for the new digitized EEC process to begin on August 1, 2025.
In the proposed Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS), the Early Educator Certification is a part of the Recognition of Quality Initiatives, specifically in the proposed Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3224(c)(8) & (9) regarding Education Recognition. A Family Child Care Home (FCCH) operator with an active certification may earn this. For a childcare center, 75% of lead teachers and other educators must have an active certification to earn this recognition. As always, the Institute will continue to forward approved certifications to the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) to update your education level from a paraprofessional up to a Level 13 based on the EEC scale.
In addition to recognizing your amazing educational accomplishment through additional coursework or earning a two or four-year degree, certified participants will be able to earn rewards and benefits through the “Perks at Work” savings program. These valuable discounts ensure that certified early educators receive deep discounts on everyday items such as airline tickets, entertainment, electronics, home and garden products, apparel, professional development training, including our own Institute on-demand online training opportunities and more!
If you have not had an opportunity to participate in the Early Educator Certification System, don’t miss the opportunity to “appreciate yourself” for your hard work and educational achievements. The EEC was created by and for the NC early childhood workforce, and provides employers with a point of hire document that moves with you.
For updates, please visit our website starting on August 1, 2025, at ncicdp.org. We look forward to continually serving you and helping you to achieve your professional development goals. For questions, please contact the Institute at the following email: info@ncicdp.org. Thank you for your support as we bring you these updates.
Online, On-Demand Professional Development for Early Childhood Professionals
If you are looking for low-cost, high-quality, convenient professional development opportunities (that also provide DCDEE clock hour training credits!), check out the Institute's Online and On-Demand Professional Development opportunities. Currently, two online trainings are available, with more in development.
You can currently access:
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Salary Scale Toolkit-Level 1 Training to learn more about NC's Salary Scale, its companion toolkit and ECE compensation efforts in NC.
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ECE Professional Burnout: You Can't Give to Others What You Don't Have, which provides us with strategies and tools to fight burnout in our profession and help reinvent and ignite positive health and wellness in our lives.
For information on how to register for either of these courses, check out our On-Demand Professional Development page.
| | Higher Ed Corner With Sharon Little | |
Just for You: Workforce Supports
The word “support” can be defined as a foundation, assist, bridge or sustainer. In the field of early education, North Carolina has a robust system of support for the early childhood workforce. You may already be familiar with some of the support offered, but to inform and remind you of what’s available, they are listed here:
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TEACH provides educational scholarships to early care professionals. TEACH scholarships pay for books, tuition and other support for those enrolled in early childhood coursework, certificates and two-year, four- year and master-level degrees. Scholarship recipients are required to maintain commitment in the field for a specified period of time based on the scholarship model. Additionally, TEACH also awards monetary bonuses to scholarship recipients for their educational achievements. For more information, visit earlyyearsnc.org/programs/teach-north-carolina, call (919)967-3272 or email teachnc@earlyyearsnc.org.
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Child Care WAGE$® (provided in some counties in North Carolina) links education and compensation by providing education-based salary supplements to teachers, family child care home educators and directors that work with children ages birth to 5 in North Carolina. For more information, visit earlyyearsnc.org/programs/wages, call (919)967-3272 or email wagespages@earlyyearsnc.org.
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Infant-Toddler Educators AWARD$® Plus links education and compensation by providing education-based salary supplements to educators working full-time with children ages birth to 2 in North Carolina. For more information, visit earlyyearsnc.org/programs/awards, call (919)967-3272 or email awardsinfo@earlyyearsnc.org.
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NC Community College Child Care Grants support community college students who are parents of young children by paying for child care expenses. These funds are limited and are usually given on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact the financial aid office at the community college where you are or will be enrolled for more information.
And then there’s more: summer classes are underway at your local community college! Contact your local early childhood community college’s early childhood program lead or advising center for more information! Summer is a great time to complete general education courses in your early childhood diploma or degree program if early childhood courses are not offered during the summer.
| | TEACH Recipient Spotlight: Liana McNutt | | |
Meet Liana McNutt: Passionate Educator and Lifelong Learner
When it comes to caring for children, Liana McNutt brings both experience and passion to the table. Her journey in working with children began early, starting with babysitting, followed by serving as a sailing counselor during college. She has since held various roles including elementary school teacher, youth programming staff at the Parks and Recreation level and now serves as a lead NC Pre-K teacher at a childcare center in Morehead City, NC. This marks her sixth year in that role, where she continues to make a meaningful impact on the lives of preschoolers.
Liana’s current goal is to complete her Birth-Kindergarten (BK) add-on licensure and continue teaching in the NC Pre-K program. She turned to the TEACH scholarship program for support after learning about it from her colleagues. Since enrolling at Barton College, Liana has been pleasantly surprised by how well she’s been able to balance coursework with full-time teaching and family responsibilities.
She credits her ability to juggle it all to the strong support system around her. Liana is deeply thankful for her loving family and friends who encourage her every step of the way. Her husband is a steady partner in sharing responsibilities, and her children, whom she calls “an extension of her heart,” are a constant source of pride and motivation.
Despite years of teaching experience, Liana sees herself as a lifelong learner. That commitment is what drives her continued education and she’s already seeing the benefits. She has begun implementing new strategies from her coursework directly into her classroom, enhancing her teaching practice and student outcomes.
"In teaching, so much comes from just diving in and getting your feet wet, but once you do that, you can rely on the strategies and techniques you’ve learned."
-Liana McNutt
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TEACH North Carolina is Celebrating 35 Years!
Since 1990, TEACH NC and Early Years have led the country in efforts to positively improve and impact the education, compensation and retention of the early education workforce.
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Changes in Federal Pell Grant Policies
We urge all scholarship recipients to contact their financial aid offices for specific details of the policy changes and how it might impact their financial aid. Below are two articles that provide some information regarding the changes:
| | New Contract Completion Policy | | |
Starting June 2025, TEACH has implemented a new policy regarding contract completion. All TEACH recipients who have reached the end of their contract must complete a new Employment Verification Form to be eligible for their contract completion compensation. This form will be used in place of the Information Update Form which will no longer be requested.
Please see below for an example of this new process for a bonus model:
- A TEACH recipient has submitted their grades for a contract ending Spring 2025.
- TEACH will send out the compensation packet, which includes the new Employment Verification Form, while the contract is still active.
- The TEACH recipient must complete this form and return it along with a pay stub dated within the last 30 days.
- For those on a bonus model, once this form and pay stub are received and the employment has been verified, the contract can be completed. This confirms eligibility for the contract bonus.
- If you are due a bonus, the contract bonus will be processed and a notification will be emailed to the recipient when the bonus has been paid.
- If the compensation is a raise, the raise packet, including the notification letters and new Employment Verification Form, will be emailed to the recipient and sponsoring employer to complete and send back with the pay stub showing the raise.
As a reminder, by accepting the bonus/raise, TEACH recipients commit to working at their sponsoring center or in the child care field for the length of time listed in their signed contract. Failure to complete this commitment can lead to an invoice for those on bonus models. In addition to the use of this form for employment verification, TEACH also tracks the wage progressions of the recipients. Failure to complete this new contract completion process can result in a hold on scholarship activity and a possible invoice for tuition.
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TEACH NC wants to help ensure your academic success by including an abbreviated recipient checklist in this section of semester reminders. “Semester reminders” are our way of calling your attention to some of the more important aspects of the scholarship process. These checklist items, if ignored, can pause or delay your scholarship process. If you need further explanation about any of these items, please feel free to contact your scholarship specialist.
Recipient Checklist:
☐ Send in your signed contract to activate your scholarship. This document MUST be received before any scholarship activity can occur.
☐ Send your Request for Permission to Release Information. You must check one of the boxes, granting or denying us permission to release personal information. Remember to sign and date this document.
☐ You MUST send your Form B with itemized receipts for tuition and book if applicable every semester. You should be able to access itemized tuition statements from Self-Service, WebAdvisor or university portals. Itemized book receipts should be obtained from the bookstore or your online purchaser.
☐ If you receive an invoice, please make sure it is paid on or before the due date. If not, this may pause your scholarship. If you are not able to pay the invoice in full, please call our office to discuss payment options.
☐ Send your unofficial transcript at the end of each semester. Please make sure your identifying information and the school’s identifying information are on the document. Please DO NOT write or highlight on the document itself.
☐ When submitting an ACH Form for direct deposit payments, please complete the ACH Form fully and submit it with a voided check or bank letter/form verifying the account numbers.
☐ Remember to use the teachnc@earlyyearsnc.org email address when emailing documents so that our TEACH admin team can log the documents received and forward them to the primary scholarship specialist for review. Any questions or concerns can be emailed to your primary scholarship specialist.
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| Recordatorios Semestrales | |
TEACH NC quiere ayudarte a garantizar tu éxito académico incluyendo una lista de comprobación abreviada para los beneficiarios en esta sección de recordatorios semestrales. Los "recordatorios semestrales" son nuestra forma de llamar su atención sobre algunos de los aspectos más importantes del proceso de obtención de la beca. Estos puntos de la lista de comprobación, si se ignoran, pueden interrumpir o retrasar el proceso de obtención de la beca. Si necesita más explicaciones sobre alguno de estos puntos, no dude en ponerse en contacto con su especialista de becas.
Lista de control para los beneficiarios:
☐ Envíe su contrato firmado para activar su beca. Este documento DEBE recibirse antes de que pueda tener lugar cualquier actividad relacionada con la beca.
☐ Envíe su "Request for Permission to Release Information". Debe marcar una de las casillas, concediéndonos o denegándonos permiso para divulgar información personal. Recuerde firmar y fechar este documento.
☐ DEBES enviar tu formulario B con los recibos desglosados de la matrícula y los libros, si procede, cada semestre. Debería poder acceder a los extractos de matrícula desglosados desde Self Service, Web-Advisor o los portales de la Universidad. Los recibos detallados de los libros deben obtenerse de la librería o de su comprador en línea.
☐ Si recibe una factura, asegúrese de pagarla en la fecha de vencimiento o antes. De lo contrario, su beca podría quedar "en pausa". Si no puede pagar la factura en su totalidad, llame a nuestra oficina para discutir las opciones de pago.
☐ Envía tu expediente académico no oficial al final de cada semestre. Asegúrate de que tus datos de identificación y los de la escuela aparecen en el documento. Por favor, NO escriba ni resalte en el propio documento.
☐ Cuando envíe un formulario ACH para pagos de depósito directo, rellénelo por completo y envíelo con un cheque anulado o una carta/formulario del banco que verifique los números de las cuentas.
Recuerde utilizar la dirección de correo electrónico teachnc@earlyyearsnc.org cuando envíe documentos por correo electrónico para que nuestro equipo administrativo de TEACH pueda registrar los documentos recibidos y reenviarlos al consejero principal de becas para su revisión. Cualquier pregunta o duda puede ser enviada por correo electrónico a su especialista de becas principal.
| | Please note the priority deadlines for applications and pre-authorization request forms. Applications and pre-authorization request forms that are received after these deadlines can still be accepted for review, however, please be aware that it might be too late for the scholarship program to pay upfront. | | Priority Application Deadline | |
Fall: June-July
Spring: September-October
Summer: February-March
| |  | Priority Pre-Authorization Deadline | |
Fall: August 1
Spring: December 1
Summer: April 1
| | | Please note the claim submission deadlines for Tuition and Book Claim Forms (Form B) and Release Time Claim Forms (Form C) to ensure that you send these claim forms in (if applicable to your scholarship model) before the due date for each semester to avoid forfeit in money for claims. | | Form B and Form C Claim Submissions | |
Fall: January 31
Spring: May 30
Summer: August 31
| | | Failure to submit reimbursement claims will result in the forfeiture of money for claims. | | Kudos and Acknowledgements | This section is dedicated to our spring 2025 graduates and additional fall 2024 graduates. We are so proud of you! | | |
Associate’s Degree:
- Melissa Hargrove Bullock
- Caroline Dulin
- Latonya Harriet
- Jessica Martinez
- Jo McSwain
- Alexis Mesimer
- Viridiana Perez
- Bernarda Segunda de Gonzalez
Bachelor’s Degree:
- Chernise Banks
- Brandi Chambers
- Crystal Maciel
- Vanessa Martin
- Shelby Vance
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Bachelor’s Plus Degree:
- Jaleesa Johnson
- Tiffany Payton
- Jasmin Tyson
Master’s Degree:
- Sheila Bates
- Christa Evans
- Shantae Marley
| | Please note: This list includes those recipients who have sent in documentation of their degree/licensure completion prior to the release of this newsletter and captures those not previously recognized. | |
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Edith Locke, Senior Vice President
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Amy Duffy, Senior Program Manager
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Kimberly Bynum, Scholarship Manager and Primary TEACH Specialist for the Master’s Degree and LITL Scholarship Models
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Schquita Battle, Administrative Department Manager
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Dr. Sharon Little, Higher Education Liaison Manager II
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Dr. Kathy Thornton, Quality Control Systems Coordinator and TEACH Specialist III
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Pam McGowan, TEACH Specialist III
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Tiawana Thorpe, TEACH Specialist II
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Shanta Hicks, Field Based Outreach Coordinator and TEACH Specialist III
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Jessica Pridgen, TEACH Specialist II
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Nancy Munguia, TEACH Specialist III
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Christie Farrish, Administrative Assistant II
| | | | Early Years leads efforts to strengthen accessible and affordable high-quality early care and education by providing support for families, communities and the workforce. | | | | |
