Child Care Resources

What Child Care Resources does

Child Care Resources Inc. (CCRI) is a non-profit child care resource and referral organization founded in 1982 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It serves families seeking child care, licensed child care providers, and community partners across Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, Rowan, and Stanly counties. Its service portfolio spans subsidized child care payment administration (as Mecklenburg County's designated Local Purchasing Agency since 1982), the federal Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) sponsorship, training and technical assistance for providers, professional development through a Moodle-based learning platform, family engagement programs (Raising A Reader, Quality Every Day), and a public child care search portal that was extended in 2025 to statewide scope via FindChildCareNC.com.

CCRI's service delivery is built on third-party technology infrastructure rather than proprietary systems. The public-facing search portal runs on Strikingly; subsidy eligibility and payment processing runs through the state-operated NC FAST system; and provider training is delivered via Moodle. In 2025 the organization added a statewide portal (FindChildCareNC.com), a paid workforce-development academy in partnership with Project 658 and Central Piedmont Community College, and an ECE Shared Resources subscription platform.

The organization operates a contract-and-grant funding model. Families receive services at no charge; revenue is generated from government administrative contracts, federal Head Start grants, CACFP per-meal reimbursements, training tuition, subscription fees from the new ECE Shared Resources platform, and charitable contributions. The two principal stakeholder bases are (1) low-income families seeking subsidized care and (2) small/independent child care providers requiring licensing support, training, and food-program sponsorship — but neither pays fees individually at scale, which means revenue concentration sits on the funder side rather than the user side.

Name

Child Care Resources

Legal name

Child Care Resources Inc.

Website

https://childcareresourcesinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Child Care Resources Inc. is a Charlotte-based non-profit child care resource and referral agency serving families and providers across five North Carolina counties through subsidy administration, training, food programs, and Head Start partnerships. Founded 1982.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Care Resource and Referral Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (624410), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Home-Based Infant & Toddler Care (Family Daycare) (EDACAGAD), Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)

Keywords

• Child care resource referral
• Early childhood education
• Child care subsidy administration
• Early educator professional development
• Family support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts and Subsidies: CCRI operates under contract to Mecklenburg County, Smart Start of Mecklenburg County, and others to administer child care financial aid programs. The organization manages federal, state, county, and local child care subsidy programs including State Child Care Subsidy, Smart Start Subsidy, and Waitlist Reduction Initiative Subsidy. Since 1982, CCRI has served as the Local Purchasing Agency (LPA) for Mecklenburg County.
2. Early Head Start - Child Care Partnership: CCRI receives federal funding from the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families to operate the EHS-CCP program, providing full-day, full-year child care for infants and toddlers from low-income families in Mecklenburg County.
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: CCRI relies on program funders and generous donors for financial resources. The organization accepts donations through its website to support children being safe, nurtured, and learning while parents earn, and to support early educators with training and coaching.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Child Care Resources Inc. is a private non-profit child care resource and referral agency that connects families with licensed child care providers, administers government child care subsidies (State, Smart Start, and Waitlist Reduction Initiative programs) as the Local Purchasing Agency for Mecklenburg County, and delivers professional development, training, technical assistance, and food program sponsorship to early educators across Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, Rowan, and Stanly counties in North Carolina. The organization also operates the federally funded Early Head Start - Child Care Partnership and the statewide FindChildCareNC.com online search portal.

Product overview

Child Care Resources Inc. operates as a private, non-profit child care resource and referral agency offering a comprehensive suite of interconnected services organized around three core pillars: child care search and referral, financial assistance/subsidy administration, and quality improvement support. The core product portfolio includes Child Care Search (free referral service), Child Care Subsidy/Financial Aid programs (administered as Mecklenburg County's Local Purchasing Agency since 1982), and Training/Technical Assistance services. Supporting programs include Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership, Quality Every Day (QED), Raising A Reader, CACFP Food Program, Challenging Behaviors Helpline, and Family Child Care Services. The organization also operates FindChildCareNC.com (statewide search portal), ECE Shared Resources (subscription platform for early educators), and the NC Child Care Map (supply/demand visualization). The Creating the Future Conference is an annual professional development event. Ready, Set, Go! is a kindergarten transition program developed in partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. CCRI serves Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, Rowan, and Stanly counties in North Carolina.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Child Care Search Free, personalized referral service that connects families with licensed child care providers in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, Rowan, and Stanly counties. CCRI's child care search team helps families find quality child care programs that meet their needs and preferences.
• Child Care Subsidy / Financial Aid Child care financial assistance program administered by CCRI as the Local Purchasing Agency (LPA) since 1982, helping low-income working families afford quality child care through State Child Care Subsidy, Smart Start of Mecklenburg County Subsidy, and Waitlist Reduction Initiative Subsidy programs.
• Training Professional development services for early care and education professionals including in-person DCDEE licensing credit-bearing workshops, on-demand online training, and contracted on-site training delivered by CCRI experts.
• Technical Assistance On-site and virtual coaching services helping child care programs enhance quality through collaborative action plans, covering NC Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative, Social-Emotional and Behavior Supports, and Quality Every Day (QED) programs.
• Early Head Start - Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) Federally funded program helping low-income families afford high-quality child care with health and mental health services and family supports, serving infants and toddlers whose families live at or below the poverty level in Mecklenburg County.
• Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Federally funded nutrition program administered by CCRI as a sponsor, providing reimbursement to qualified child care facilities for nutritious meals and snacks to improve nutrition and eating habits of children in their care.
• Challenging Behaviors Helpline Free helpline providing behavior support advice and resources for early childhood educators through phone consultations at 1-888-600-1685, online question submission, and peer community connections via the Social Emotional Connections network.
• Family Child Care Services Specialized services for family child care providers including training, coaching, and community-based peer networks (Family Child Care Networks) serving Beatties Ford Road, Westside, Hidden Valley, and Triangle East areas.
• Creating the Future Conference Annual professional development conference presented by CCRI in collaboration with South Piedmont Community College, offering discounted rates for facilities sending 15+ staff, full-time students, and association members.
• ECE Shared Resources Subscription-based resource platform providing volume pricing on goods and services, professional development resources, marketing tools, HR templates, program administration forms, and community networking for early childhood education programs across North Carolina.
• NC Child Care Map Interactive child care supply and demand map providing visual data about child care availability across North Carolina through an ArcGIS experience.
• FindChildCareNC.com Statewide online child care search portal that consolidates every licensed program in North Carolina into one searchable platform for families seeking child care.
• Ready, Set, Go! Comprehensive kindergarten transition initiative developed with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and NC Department of Public Instruction, providing video series and resources to support families, caregivers, and teachers through every stage of transition for children birth through age 5.
• Public Pre-K Programs Referral Information and referral services connecting families with public pre-kindergarten programs including Bright Beginnings, MECK Pre-K, and NC Pre-K across Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly, and Union counties.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100,000+ children served annually through child care assistance programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South Piedmont Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026South Piedmont Community College hosts CCRI's annual Creating the Future Conference, providing venue and collaborative support for early childhood education professional development.
• Project 658coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CCRI partnered with Project 658 to launch the first Child Care Academy in Mecklenburg County. The program serves immigrant women participating in Project 658 programming who are interested in teaching in child care. Participants receive training to begin careers as child care teachers.
• Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CPCC collaborated with CCRI and Project 658 on the inaugural Child Care Academy in Mecklenburg County, providing educational pathway support for immigrant women entering the child care field.
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharlotte-Mecklenburg Schools collaborated with CCRI and NC Department of Public Instruction to develop the Ready, Set, Go! kindergarten transition program, providing support at every stage of transition for families, caregivers, and teachers.
• NC Department of Public InstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNC DPI partnered with CCRI and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to develop the Ready, Set, Go! kindergarten transition program with videos available in English and Spanish.
• Quality Every Day (QED) PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQED partners with Central Piedmont Community College to deliver a 2-credit course on making the most of classroom interactions and engages local wellness experts to support staff resilience.
• NC Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBirth-to-Three specialists partner with classroom teachers and administrators using Practice-Based Coaching (PBC) to help set goals and accomplish improvements for children and families.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Child Development Inc. Non-profit child care resource and referral / Head Start operator on the West Coast; comparable operating model to CCRI in LPA-style subsidy admin, training, and Head Start partnership delivery, but in a different geography.
• Child Care Council of Oregon: Regional non-profit delivering child care resource, referral, training, and quality supports in Oregon; structurally similar operating model to CCRI in a different state.

Emerging players

• Wonderschool: Tech-enabled child care platform offering search, licensing support, and back-office tools to providers; an emerging digital alternative in the family-referral and provider-support category where CCRI competes.
• Educare Learning Network: Network of high-quality early childhood programs serving low-income children from birth to five; comparable to CCRI's Early Head Start-CCP and Raising A Reader work, though delivered through a different operating model.

Direct peers

• Smart Start of Mecklenburg County: Local Smart Start affiliate that funds and commissions early childhood programs in Mecklenburg County; shares overlapping goals with CCRI and is both a funder and a programmatic partner, making it a structurally adjacent peer.
• Quality Care for Children: Georgia-based non-profit child care resource and referral agency administering subsidy programs, training, and quality improvement — directly comparable to CCRI's LPA, training, and technical assistance functions.
• Child Care Aware of North Carolina: State-level Child Care Aware affiliate delivering child care referral, training, and provider support across North Carolina; operates in adjacent counties and overlaps with CCRI's family referral and professional development services.
• Childcare Services Association: North Carolina-based non-profit child care resource and referral agency operating multiple Child Care Resource & Referral programs, with a similar LPA-style, family-and-provider support model to CCRI. Closest direct peer given shared geography and mission.

Broad incumbents

• Child Care Aware of America: National membership organization representing state Child Care Resource & Referral agencies; sets standards and convenes peers like CCRI, but does not directly administer local subsidy programs.
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): National professional association for early childhood educators, providing accreditation, training, and quality frameworks that overlap with CCRI's QED coaching, CLASS tools, and professional development offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CCRINewsfeed
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChildCareResourcesInc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Child Care Resources