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Ready to apply? We’re happy to help you through the application process.
Program
WAGE$ Eligibility
Qualify
To be eligible, applicants must…
- Work in a participating/funded county
- Earn at or below the income cap ($19, $23 or $25/hour) selected by your local Smart Start partnership
- Work with children ages birth to 5
- Work at least 10 hours per week
- Work in a licensed child care program
- Have one of the levels of education listed on the WAGE$ salary supplement scale
Participating Counties
Below is a list of participating counties in North Carolina. Not in N.C.? The Child Care WAGE$® program can be licensed in other states.
| Alamance | Craven | Gaston | Iredell | Montgomery |
| Alexander | Cumberland | Graham | Jackson | Moore |
| Alleghany | Davidson | Granville | Johnston | Nash |
| Avery | Davie | Greene | Lee | Northampton |
| Bladen | Durham | Guilford | Lenoir | Pitt |
| Brunswick | Duplin | Halifax | Lincoln | Randolph |
| Buncombe | Edgecombe | Harnett | Macon | Richmond |
| Burke | Forsyth | Haywood | Martin | Robeson |
| Cabarrus | Franklin | Henderson | Mecklenburg | Rockingham |
| Caldwell | Gaston | Hertford | Mitchell | Rowan |
| Catawba | Graham | Iredell | Montgomery | Rutherford |
| Cherokee | Granville | Jackson | Moore | Sampson |
| Clay | Greene | Johnston | Nash | Stanly |
| Cleveland | Guilford | Lee | Northampton | Surry |
If you don’t see your county listed, contact your local Smart Start Partnership for Children. If they are interested in participating, they may call 919-967-3272 for more information.
Have eligibility questions?
We can help!
Still unsure if you’re eligible? Call a WAGE$ specialist at 919-967-3272. When calling please reference WAGE$. If you are a current participant please also mention the county in which you work. You can also send us a message online.
