Adolescent Parenting Program (APP) is a home visiting model developed by the NC Division of Public Health (NC DPH) that increases teen parents’ self-sufficiency, delays additional pregnancies, increases high school graduation rates or achievement of the GED, improves child welfare and school readiness, improves positive parenting practices, and ensures children’s access to a safe home environment and medical home.

Parent education curriculum delivered via two weekly text messages that share developmentally appropriate information with families who have a child aged birth to five on physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development. All Basics Insights messages are related to the five Basics Principles: Maximize Love, Manage Stress; Count, Group, and Compare; Talk, Sing, and Point; Explore through Movement and Play; and Read and Discuss Stories.

Home-visiting program to develop early language and literacy skills through customized literacy coaching and book provision. Book Babies equips parents/caregivers with a home library from birth and ensures their access to the tools and support needed to advocate for their children when they transition to Pre-K, kindergarten, and beyond.

A nationwide text messaging service that encourages parents and caregivers to make the most of their interactions with their children. Text nudges provide information to parents and caregivers about child development, health, and well-being Messages are customized to the child’s age and include tips, information, games, and resources. Optional features for customized messages based on location.

Prenatal care group that connects birthing parents, due at the same time. CenteringPregnancy provides birthing parents and their partners with prenatal care that allows them to engage in their own healthcare, improve their self-confidence for labor/birth and newborn care, and helps them build a support system. 

Intensive, home-based early childhood model that supports young children and their families as they heal from the damaging effects of stress and trauma. Two-generation approach builds strong, nurturing, caregiver-child relationships, promotes adult capacity, and connects families with services to increase emotional health, promote learning success, and prevent child abuse and neglect.

Child Passenger Safety (CPS) services increase families' access to child passenger safety education to prevent childhood injuries and death. A Nationally Certified CPS Technician works one-on-one with caregivers who learn how to choose the correct seat for their child’s height and weight, how to properly harness their child into the car seat, and how to properly install their car seats. CPS services should be coordinated with the local Safe Kids coalition and aligned with the North Carolina Child Passenger Safety Law (N.C.G.S. § 20-137.1).

Trauma-informed training to develop skills for improving attachment and/or strengthening relationships while reducing mild to moderate behavior concerns, and for increasing compliance.

Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) provide support and resources for children in abusive situations through services performed by victim advocates, therapists, forensic interviewers, and medical providers serving children and non-offending caregivers in comfortable, child-focused settings. Additionally, Children’s Advocacy Centers of North Carolina (CACNC) offers symposiums, training sessions, and resources to keep local CACs, service providers, and multi-disciplinary team partners up to date with best practices.

Circle of Parents uses a mutual support group model. Meetings are co-led by group members and professionals. Meetings provide a place where parents and caregivers connect through open discussion - learning from each other and supporting each other while building the five protective factors with the ultimate goal of eliminating child abuse and neglect.

A manualized, video-based relationship model delivered by a trained facilitator to groups of caregivers or individual caregivers. Supports caregivers’ reflective capacity and optimizes their understanding of the social emotional needs of infants, toddlers, and young children with clear, simple graphics to offer adults the chance to make sense of what’s under the child’s behavior and their own.

The North Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral program (NC CCR&R) collects updated information on the availability and quality of child care programs to educate and assist families in finding child care programs that meet their child’s and family’s needs, as aligned with CCR&R Council practice guidance.

DCDEE-approved training(s) for entry-level assistants to multi-site administrators intentionally designed to enhance knowledge, skills, and abilities so that staff are fully equipped to best support the needs of the children and families served. For training(s) to count towards on-going training requirements, the content must comply with G.S. 110-91(11) and 10A NCAC 09 .1105 & .1703.

Network that partners with community agencies and programs to address families’ need for basic materials (such as diapers and baby wipes) to promote their child’s healthy development and hygiene. Includes three models for partnership: mobile delivery, closed partnership, and open partnership.

The Family Check-Up (FCU) model is a brief, family-centered & strengths-based approach to mindful parenting. It combines empirically-validated assessment with motivational interviewing to engage families in identifying strengths and areas for improvement in parenting. It also provides parents with simple, practical parenting strategies to promote positive child development. Improvement in parenting skills and family relationships leads to reductions in child behavioral and mental health problems over time.

A universal newborn home visiting program that connects with families after the birth of a newborn to share in the joy of a new baby, assess unique family risks, and respond to immediate needs for support and guidance. The program provides supportive guidance to families, links families to community services based on their individual needs and preferences, and helps new parents connect with their infant by providing them with the confidence and support needed to sustain infant and parent health, child development, and overall family well-being.

Home visiting program for first-time parents/caregivers during pregnancy and early childhood to help improve family and community outcomes. Home visits include working on personal goals, understanding challenges, finding opportunities to grow, and building positive, playful, relationships with their child while supporting the child’s development.

Behavior Bootcamp is a 2-day professional development event appropriate for a variety of professionals, including home visitors, classroom staff, instructional coaches, and admin/directors. Behavior Bootcamp introduces participants to principles of behavioral health that are crucial to creating happy & confident teachers who can respond appropriately to challenging behavior.

Campfire Coaching professional development sessions use small group meetings to provide an ongoing, practice-based cycle in three stages: Learn & Plan, Implement & Practice, Debrief & Reflect .

Foster parents/caregivers receive trauma-informed training to develop skills for improving attachment and/or strengthening relationships while reducing mild to moderate behavior concerns, and for increasing compliance. FosterCARE is a training course that follows the same curriculum as CARE but is specifically delivered with foster parents/caregivers. Trauma psychoeducation is incorporated in some of the skills taught to foster caregivers.

Community-based doula program providing trauma-informed, extended, intensive support to birthing families prenatally, during labor, and postpartum to assist with breastfeeding, attachment, and early parenting.

A home visiting program developed to work with families who may have histories of trauma, intimate partner violence, mental health issues and/or substance abuse issues. Focus on prenatal support, family goal planning, family service planning, strengthening parent-child interaction, parent support and education, child development information, and health and safety information. Program activities identify existing service gaps and supports families through relationship-building strategies that are strengths-based, family-centered, culturally responsive, and reflective.

HealthySteps integrates a child development and behavioral health promotion and prevention expert (HealthySteps Specialist) into the primary care team to promote healthy relationships, promote positive parenting, strengthen early social and emotional development, and ensure access to services that address both child and family needs, with a particular emphasis on families in low-wealth communities.

Universal home visiting program for all parents/caregivers, including those facing obstacles such as poverty, social isolation, a lack of education, or other concerns. HIPPY home visitors work with parents/caregivers to help them become their child’s first teacher and prepare their children for success in school through activities focused on their development and cognitive/reading skills.

Integrated Play Groups® (IPG) is a program used to guide autistic children and their neurotypical peers in mutually engaging experiences designed to foster socialization, play, and imagination in natural and inclusive settings.

Kaleidoscope Play & Learn is a weekly facilitated playgroup model for Family, Friend and Neighbor caregivers and parents to support them in preparing children for success in school and life by providing caregivers with support, information, and resources to support children’s early learning and healthy development.

Music and movement classes are designed for parents/caregivers and their young children to support their child’s achievement of developmental milestones through an engaging, interactive group meeting.

Lactation consultation is provided by International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) or Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC). Lactation Consultants offer support, advice and guidance to people who choose to breastfeed and can help with painful nipples, milk supply, breastfeeding positions and other common nursing problems. Implementation should include community awareness of UNC’s hotline: Breastfeeding Warmline, (984)-974-8078 or toll free at (866) 428-5608) for anyone living in NC.

Lactation education provides support to parents and caregivers using the Ready, Set, BABY curriculum provided by the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. Implementation should include community awareness of UNC’s hotline, Breastfeeding Warmline, which can be accessed by calling (984)-974-8078 or toll free at (866) 428-5608 for anyone living in NC.

Lactation peer support groups are informal meetings for pregnant and breastfeeding people facilitated by trained support group leaders and supported by licensed medical or health care providers, such as International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). Together, these professionals provide ongoing lactation care and intervention, address mothers’ concerns and provide opportunities for mother-to-mother support. Implementation should include community awareness of UNC’s hotline: Breastfeeding Warmline, (984)-974-8078 or toll free at (866) 428-5608) for anyone living in NC.