Our story

The North Carolina Star Rated License was established in 1999 to better define the quality of child care in the state and to assist parents in choosing child care. The North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) awards the Star Rated License to child care centers, family child care homes, and school-age programs based upon total points earned in two areas: (1) Program Standards and (2) Staff Education Standards. Program Standards points are awarded as child care programs meet basic licensing, enhanced standards, and ratio requirements. It is in this area that Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-3, ITERS-3, FCCERS-3, & SACERS-U) assessments are used. Child care programs with higher rating scale scores can earn more Program Standards points.

For far too long, racial injustices and discrimination have existed within our society. Racism is unjust and will not be tolerated by our organization. In response to a long-standing history of systemic and institutional inequities, we have begun the process of understanding the manifestations of systemic racism in our work and commit to actions that promote equity in the Early Child Care and Education community.

We will:

• commit to supporting people of color and placing value on their ideas and perspectives
• foster a learning environment for our staff to examine racial equity issues and bias in our work as an ongoing process, including in procedures, practices, training, and resources
• work to identify, address, and resolve bias toward any individual, program, or organization in contact with or served by NCRLAP

We believe these actions are a foundation for a vibrant organization in which people of diverse perspectives and backgrounds create, access, and share relationships and resources equitably.

NCRLAP’s Racial Equity Position Statement aligns with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), the state's early childhood education oversight agency, and professional early childhood organizations such as:  

• Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)  

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)  

• BUILD Initiative (BUILD)