Early Years

What Early Years does

Early Years (legal entity: Child Care Services Association, Inc.) is a North Carolina-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating as one of three Council Management Agencies for the state's Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) system. Founded in 1974 (as the Durham Day Care Council) and reorganized in 1999 through a merger that formed the current entity, the organization is headquartered in Chapel Hill, NC and serves two principal customer segments: families seeking child care referrals, financial-assistance guidance, and quality information, and early childhood educators (center directors, teachers, family child care providers, and preschool staff) seeking education scholarships, salary supplements, professional development, and technical assistance. The organization is also the host of the TEACH Early Childhood National Center, which licenses its program models to other states.

The core product platform consists of several integrated programs: TEACH Early Childhood® (tuition scholarships usable at 58+ NC community colleges and 20+ universities), Child Care WAGE$® and STEP$ (education-based salary supplements), CCR&R referral services, Technical Assistance and Professional Development workshops (including a $12 Infant Toddler Zone workshop), Durham PreK, the spoonFULL meal program, Child and Adult Care Food Program administration, and specialized initiatives such as NC Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative and Healthy Social Behaviors Initiative. Supporting technology is limited to a public website, online training calendars, a free mobile child development milestone tracker, and data-collection systems feeding a statewide NC ECE Data Repository that supports the organization's research publications and policy-brief output. IACET accreditation underwrites the continuing-education credentials issued through training programs.

The business model is a hybrid grant-funded and government-contracted nonprofit. Revenue derives primarily from DCDEE CCR&R grants, federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge funding, county Smart Start partnership co-funding, and USDA food-program reimbursements. Most services are free to families and providers; nominal fees exist only for select workshops, and individual-donation revenue is being actively cultivated through community events such as the 2026 pickleball fundraising tournament. Cumulative program investment exceeds $9.1M in WAGE$ salary supplements, serving 4,122 educators across 868 programs and indirectly reaching 63,700 children enrolled in TEACH-participant facilities.

Name

Early Years

Legal name

Child Care Services Association, Inc.

Website

https://earlyyearsnc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Early Years (Child Care Services Association) is a North Carolina 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating as a designated CCR&R Council Management Agency for the nine-county Triangle area and host of the TEACH Early Childhood National Center. It delivers child care referrals, education scholarships, salary supplements, professional development, and research to families, early educators, and policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Care Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Head Start & Publicly Funded Infant/Toddler Programs (EDACAGAH), Community & Nonprofit Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAD)

Keywords

• Child care referrals
• Early childhood education
• Educator scholarship programs
• Workforce development
• Family support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts and Grants: Early Years operates primarily through government funding from the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Smart Start partnerships, and federal grants including the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant. These funds support core CCR&R services, training, technical assistance, and workforce development programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Early Years is a nonprofit Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency that helps families find, evaluate, and pay for child care while supporting early childhood educators through education scholarships (TEACH), salary supplement programs (WAGE$, STEP$), technical assistance, professional development, and pre-kindergarten programs (Durham PreK). The organization also operates the TEACH Early Childhood National Center, licensing its scholarship and compensation models to other states, and conducts statewide early care workforce research.

Product overview

Early Years offers a comprehensive suite of programs and services designed to enhance early care and education in North Carolina. The organization operates as a multi-program platform centered around workforce development initiatives including TEACH Early Childhood® scholarships for educational funding, Child Care WAGE$® and STEP$ salary supplement programs for educator compensation, and Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) services for families and providers. Supporting services include Technical Assistance and Professional Development for program quality improvement, Durham PreK for pre-kindergarten access, spoonFULL and Child and Adult Care Food Program for nutrition services, NC Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative and Healthy Social Behaviors Initiative for specialized support, and the TEACH National Center for replication of these programs nationally. The organization also provides research resources, policy briefs, and workforce studies to inform early childhood policy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TEACH Early Childhood: Education scholarship program for early childhood educators
• Child Care WAGE$
• STEP$
• spoonFULL
• Child Care Referral Central
• Durham PreK

Products and services

• TEACH Early Childhood North Carolina Education scholarship program providing financial assistance for early childhood educators to pursue coursework and degrees in early childhood education at 58+ community colleges and 20+ universities across North Carolina.
• Child Care WAGE$ Education-based salary supplement program for early educators working with children birth to age 5 in participating counties, providing financial incentives tied to continued education; $9.1M+ invested cumulatively across 1,799 recipients.
• STEP$ Education-based salary supplement program for full-time educators working specifically with infants and toddlers (birth through age 2).
• Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) Resource and referral service helping families find child care and connecting providers with families, while building the supply of quality child care through training and technical assistance; serves the nine-county Triangle area and coordinates statewide across 14 regions.
• Technical Assistance Tailored coaching and technical assistance services designed to boost quality across child care programs; includes the NC Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative and Healthy Social Behaviors Initiative coaching components.
• Professional Development Professional development opportunities including workshops, seminars, online classes, and IACET-accredited continuing education courses for early childhood educators; some workshops priced at $12.00 per session for 2 credit hours.
• Durham PreK High-quality, equitable pre-K program providing pre-kindergarten access for 4-year-olds in Durham County.
• spoonFULL Meal program making it easy for child care centers to serve nutritious meals by providing fresh, affordable, ready-to-heat options.
• Child and Adult Care Food Program USDA-sponsored food program helping family child care homes serve nutritious meals to children in care.
• Early Childhood Homelessness Program Resources and support for the well-being of young children and their families experiencing homelessness.
• TEACH Early Childhood National Center National center leading efforts to strengthen the education, compensation, and career pathways of the early childhood workforce by licensing TEACH and WAGE$ initiatives to statewide organizations across the country.

Quantifiable outcome

• 63,700 children served through programs with TEACH participants
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE)coreOthersState government agency that oversees early childhood programs in North Carolina. DCDEE provides funding through CCR&R grants and manages the NC Pre-K program. Early Years operates as a Council Management Agency under DCDEE oversight.
• Smart Start Partnerships (County-level)coreOthersCounty-level partnerships (e.g., Smart Start of Mecklenburg County, Guilford County Partnership for Children, Hertford-Northampton Smart Start) that co-fund WAGE$ and TEACH programs. These local partnerships provide matching funds and local oversight for early childhood initiatives.
• Child Care Resources Inc. (CCRI)coreOthersCouncil Management Agency partner managing CCR&R regions in the Charlotte area. CCRI oversees 4-5 CCR&R regions as part of the three-agency Council structure.
• Southwestern Child Development Commission (SWCDC)coreOthersCouncil Management Agency partner managing CCR&R regions in western North Carolina. SWCDC oversees 4-5 CCR&R regions as part of the three-agency Council structure.
• Durham Day Care Council (historical)minorOthersOriginal CCR&R agency established in 1974, merged with Day Care Services Association in 1999 to form Early Years.
• Day Care Services Association (historical)minorOthersOriginal CCR&R agency in Orange County, merged with Durham Day Care Council in 1999 to form Early Years.
• North Carolina Community College SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 58 community colleges offering early childhood education degree programs where TEACH scholarships can be utilized. Includes institutions like Central Piedmont CC, Durham Tech, Wake Tech, and others across the state.
• North Carolina University PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 20 four-year universities and colleges partnering with TEACH program, including UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Charlotte, NC State, East Carolina University, Appalachian State, and others offering Birth-Kindergarten licensure programs.
• NC CCR&R CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOversight body created by DCDEE to standardize CCR&R services across 14 regions. Includes Early Years, CCRI, and SWCDC as Council Management Agencies.
• Department of Social Services (DSS)coreOthersCounty-level social services agencies that administer Child Care Subsidy programs and refer families to CCR&R services for child care referrals.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• ParentsActionforChildren: National nonprofit connecting families to child care resources and advocacy. Comparable in family-facing CCR&R-style information delivery but with broader national scope and less workforce-development depth than Early Years.
• Brightwheel: For-profit SaaS platform serving child care providers with attendance, billing, and family communication. Adjacent technology-enabled competitor in the child care operations space where Early Years delivers referral and administrative support.

Regional players

• Zero to Three: National nonprofit focused on infant and toddler development, with policy and training programs that overlap Early Years' STEP$, Birth-to-Three, and infant/toddler workforce initiatives. Operates nationally versus Early Years' NC focus.

Broad incumbents

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): National membership and accreditation body for early childhood educators and programs. Operates in the same early-childhood quality and professional-development space as Early Years but with a broader, national advocacy and accreditation remit.
• Council for Professional Recognition: Administers the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential — the dominant credential for early educators — directly relevant to TEACH scholarship pathways and WAGE$ education requirements that Early Years manages in NC.

Direct peers

• Southwestern Child Development Commission: Third Council Management Agency for NC's CCR&R system, managing 4-5 regions in western North Carolina. Delivers the same CCR&R, TEACH, and WAGE$ programs as Early Years under the unified DCDEE framework.
• Childcare Aware of America: National CCR&R membership organization supporting state and regional CCR&R agencies nationwide, including TEACH/WAGE$ licensing. Comparable in mission and scope, and the closest national-level peer for replication strategy.
• Child Care Resources Inc. (CCRI): Co-Council Management Agency for NC's CCR&R system, managing 4-5 regions including the Charlotte area. Operates the same TEACH/WAGE$ referral and workforce model as Early Years and is the most direct operational peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/earlyyearsnc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Early Years