Child Care Services Association
Early Years, Inc. (formerly Child Care Services Association) is a North Carolina nonprofit and designated state Child Care Resource and Referral agency, serving families seeking child care, early childhood educators via scholarship and salary supplement programs (TEACH, WAGE$, STEP$), and policymakers through ECE research.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersChapel Hill, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Child Care Services Association does
Child Care Services Association, now operating as Early Years, Inc., is a North Carolina-based nonprofit founded in 1974 that serves as the state's designated Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs across three constituencies: families seeking to find, evaluate, and pay for child care (via Find Child Care, Evaluate Child Care, Pay for Child Care, and a Child Care Scholarship Program); early childhood educators receiving education scholarships and salary supplements (TEACH Early Childhood NC, Child Care WAGE$, STEP$); and policymakers/researchers served through the NC ECE Data Repository and Statewide ECE Workforce Studies. Additional program lines include Durham PreK, spoonFULL nutrition initiative, NC Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative, Healthy Social Behaviors Initiative, Early Childhood Homelessness Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. The TEACH National Center extends the TEACH model beyond North Carolina to other states.
The underlying technology stack is not explicitly disclosed, with the organization relying primarily on a website portal (earlyyearsnc.org), a phone hotline (919-967-3272), email newsletters via Constant Contact, virtual/in-person events, and community-based referrals rather than proprietary software or AI-enabled tooling. No APIs, mobile applications, or AI capabilities are documented.
The business model is nonprofit grant- and donation-funded, with revenue derived from government contracts (state CCR&R designation), federal funding (e.g., Child and Adult Care Food Program), foundation grants, and individual donations. No commercial pricing tiers exist; programs such as TEACH, WAGE$, and STEP$ are funded through grants rather than fees. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website, phone, events, and community partnerships with healthcare providers and social services.
Child Care Services Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Child Care Services Association
- Legal name
- Early Years, Inc.
- Website
- https://childcareservices.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Early Years, Inc. (formerly Child Care Services Association) is a North Carolina nonprofit and designated state Child Care Resource and Referral agency, serving families seeking child care, early childhood educators via scholarship and salary supplement programs (TEACH, WAGE$, STEP$), and policymakers through ECE research.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Child Care Services Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early Childhood Education Services
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (62441), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Center-Based Toddler Care (18–36 months) (EDACAGAB)
Keywords
Where Child Care Services Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chapel Hill
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Child Care Services Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Non-profit funding (grants, donations, government contracts): As a non-profit organization, Early Years generates revenue through donations, grants, and likely government contracts to support their child care resource and referral programs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Child Care Services Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Child Care Services Association (d/b/a Early Years, Inc.) operates as a non-profit Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency for North Carolina. Its core offerings include: (1) family-facing services to find, evaluate, and pay for child care (Find Child Care tool, quality evaluation resources, financial assistance navigation, Child Care Scholarship Program); (2) educator-facing programs providing education scholarships and salary supplements (TEACH Early Childhood NC, Child Care WAGE$, STEP$), technical assistance, and professional development; (3) community initiatives supporting nutrition, infant/toddler quality, social-emotional health, and early childhood homelessness (spoonFULL, Child and Adult Care Food Program, NC Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative, Healthy Social Behaviors Initiative); and (4) statewide ECE research and the NC ECE Data Repository for policymakers and researchers.
Product overview
Early Years, Inc operates as a comprehensive early care and education support organization offering a platform of interconnected programs and services. The portfolio includes child care resource and referral services for families (Child Care Help, Find/Evaluate/Pay for Child Care), professional development and compensation programs for early educators (TEACH, WAGE$, STEP$), technical assistance and community initiatives (spoonFULL, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative), and research/data services (NC ECE Data Repository, Statewide Workforce Studies). The programs work together to support the entire child care ecosystem—from helping families access care, to helping educators improve their qualifications and compensation, to conducting research that informs policy decisions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TEACH Early Childhood North Carolina: Education scholarship program for early childhood educators
- Child Care WAGE$
- STEP$
- spoonFULL
- Child Care Referral Central
- TEACH National Center
Products and services
- Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R)
Quantifiable outcome
- 63,700 children enrolled in programs with TEACH participants
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Child Care Services Association
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Child Care Services Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Child Care Services Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Child Care Services Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Child Care Aware of America: National coordinating body for Child Care Resource & Referral agencies, directly comparable as the parent/member network for state-level CCR&Rs including the subject company. Operates the same referral, training, and policy advocacy model at national scope.
- YMCA of the USA: National nonprofit operating child care and early learning programs with significant NC presence, including Durham and Chapel Hill. Comparable as a community-based ECE provider combining direct service, family referrals, and educator support under a nonprofit umbrella.
- AppleTree Institute for Education Innovation: DC-based nonprofit operating pre-K programs and educator professional development—directly comparable as a multi-program ECE nonprofit combining direct service with educator support, mirroring Early Years' integrated model.
Broad incumbents
- KinderCare Learning Companies: Major for-profit operator of early childhood education centers across the US. Comparable as a large-scale center-based ECE provider competing for the same families in NC markets, but with commercial rather than nonprofit orientation.
- Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Largest for-profit provider of employer-sponsored child care and early education in the US, providing benchmark for scaled ECE delivery. Comparable as a competing channel for working families seeking quality child care, though focused on employer-sponsored delivery.
Regional players
- Durham's Partnership for Children: NC-based Smart Start partnership administering local child care subsidies, pre-K, and family support in Durham County. Comparable as a regional peer CCR&R-adjacent nonprofit with overlapping programs and the same North Carolina funder ecosystem.
Emerging players
- Child Trends: National research nonprofit focused on child and family well-being data and policy analysis. Comparable as a peer research/data entity informing ECE policy, with overlapping funder base and policy audience to the subject company's NC ECE Data Repository work.
- Wonderschool: Venture-backed platform digitizing child care search, enrollment, and provider operations. Comparable as a digital-first competitor for family referrals and provider support—directly threatening the subject company's traditional hotline/website referral model.
- ZERO TO THREE: National nonprofit advancing infant and toddler development through research, training, and policy. Comparable as a peer operating early intervention and infant/toddler-focused programs, overlapping with the subject company's NC Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative.
Others
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): National membership organization setting standards for ECE quality and accreditation. Comparable as a peer ecosystem player shaping the early educator professional development market in which the subject company operates its TEACH and STEP$ programs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Child Care Services Association social profiles
Digital presenceChild Care Services Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Child Care Services Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Child Care Services Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Child Care Services Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Child Care Services Association
What does Child Care Services Association do?
Child Care Services Association (d/b/a Early Years, Inc.) operates as a non-profit Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency for North Carolina. Its core offerings include: (1) family-facing services to find, evaluate, and pay for child care (Find Child Care tool, quality evaluation resources, financial assistance navigation, Child Care Scholarship Program); (2) educator-facing programs providing education scholarships and salary supplements (TEACH Early Childhood NC, Child Care WAGE$, STEP$), technical assistance, and professional development; (3) community initiatives supporting nutrition, infant/toddler quality, social-emotional health, and early childhood homelessness (spoonFULL, Child and Adult Care Food Program, NC Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative, Healthy Social Behaviors Initiative); and (4) statewide ECE research and the NC ECE Data Repository for policymakers and researchers.
Is Child Care Services Association a public or private company?
Child Care Services Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Child Care Services Association founded?
Child Care Services Association was founded in 1974. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Child Care Services Association based?
Child Care Services Association is headquartered in Chapel Hill, United States, in the North America region.
How does Child Care Services Association make money?
One revenue line is on record: non-profit funding (grants, donations, government contracts).
Who are Child Care Services Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Child Care Aware of America, YMCA of the USA and AppleTree Institute for Education Innovation. Broad incumbents are KinderCare Learning Companies and Bright Horizons Family Solutions. Durham's Partnership for Children is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Child Trends, Wonderschool and ZERO TO THREE. National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is listed as an others.
Does Child Care Services Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Child Care Services Association.
What industry is Child Care Services Association in?
Child Care Services Association's product category is Early Childhood Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACAGAB, Center-Based Toddler Care (18–36 months). Its NAICS code is 62441 and its SIC code is 8351.