NC Department of Health and Human Services

The NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) manages the delivery of health- and human-related services for all North Carolinians, especially our most vulnerable citizens – children, elderly, disabled and low-income families.

NCDHHS was charged by Governor Roy Cooper through Executive Order to spearhead the development of a statewide early childhood plan, with the support of the Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC), other departments, and stakeholders from across the state.

The NC Early Childhood Action Plan seeks to create a cohesive vision, set benchmarks for impact by the year 2025, and establish shared stakeholder accountability to achieve statewide goals for young children from birth through age eight. The NC Early Childhood Action Plan focuses on goals around three central themes: that North Carolina’s young children are 1) healthy, 2) safe and nurtured, and 3) learning and ready to succeed.

The NC Early Childhood Action Plan builds on the extensive, collaborative efforts of the NC Pathways to Grade-Level Reading initiative led by the NC Early Childhood Foundation. The NC Early Childhood Action Plan is also significantly informed by the work of the NC Perinatal Health Strategic Plan, the North Carolina Institute of Medicine Statewide Taskforce on the Essentials for Early Childhood, Think Babies™ NC, and others.

For more information about the NC Early Childhood Action Plan, .