News
The FY21Child Care WAGE$® Report in Mecklenburg County Has Been Published!
November 2021
The numbers are in! We are proud to announce that a total of 684 Mecklenburg County child care professionals received bi-annual bonuses through the Child Care WAGE$® Program in FY21. These participants worked in 243 different child care programs serving approximately 13,464 children.
This program is a funding collaboration between Smart Start and the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE). The Child Care WAGE$® Program impacts the community by improving the quality of early care and education for young children. Most evidence suggests there are three primary factors associated with teacher quality: education, stability, and compensation. WAGE$ addresses all three. Funding has also been expanded to include all child care centers, independent of star rating.