Teacher Resources for Childcare Pay

If you teach or care for children in Wake County, here are 7 ways to boost your pay or lower your costs. Please note: Wake County is not a Child Care WAGE$ county. Funding and eligibility change, so check with each program before you apply. Contacts: Early Years 919-967-3272, stepsinfo@earlyyearsnc.org, earlyyearsnc.org; Wake County Smart Start 919-851-9550.

1. Child Care WAGE$ (Early Years)

  • Important: Wake County is NOT a WAGE$ county, so it is not on the participating-county list.
  • What it is: A yearly cash supplement for childcare teachers, directors, and family childcare providers, paid in two 6-month installments.
  • Who qualifies: Staff who work with children birth to 5 for at least 10 hours a week in a licensed program in a participating county, paid at or below the local hourly cap ($19, $23, or $25 depending on the county), with education that appears on the WAGE$ scale.
  • How much: Full-time yearly awards range from $450 (CDA) up to $6,250 (master's or doctorate), depending on education and county tier.
  • Residency vs. work location: Eligibility depends on the county where you work, not where you live. A Wake resident who teaches at a licensed center in a participating neighboring county can qualify. Neighboring participating counties include Durham, Johnston, Harnett, Franklin, Granville, Nash, Lee, Vance, Warren, Alamance, and Wilson.
  • How to start: Call Early Years at 919-967-3272 or see earlyyearsnc.org. You can receive only one supplement program at a time.

2. STEP$ Infant/Toddler Supplement

  • Open in Wake County.
  • What it is: A state-funded yearly supplement run by Early Years, paid in two halves.
  • Who qualifies: Lead teachers, teachers, and family childcare providers (not directors or owners) who work 40 hours a week with infants, ones, or twos in a licensed program, earn $16.00/hour or less, and have been at the same program at least 6 months. You reapply every year.
  • How much per year: $975 (CDA or NC Early Childhood Credential), $1,425 (associate degree), $2,420 (bachelor's degree), or $3,500 (master's degree or National Board certification).
  • Good to know: You lose the six-month payment if you leave before the period ends, payments depend on funding, and the supplement is taxable.
  • How to start: Email stepsinfo@earlyyearsnc.org or call 919-967-3272. Application: STEP$ application form.

3. T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood NC

  • Open in Wake County.
  • What it is: Scholarships through Early Years that help pay for college courses and books. Your employer sponsors you and shares some of the cost.
  • What you get: On the associate and bachelor's scholarships, you take 9–15 credit hours a year and then receive either a raise from your employer or a bonus shared by your employer and T.E.A.C.H., expected to be 3–4% of pay. You commit to staying with your employer for a year after. Other scholarships cover CDA fees and credentials.
  • Good to know: The scholarship is not transferable and ends if you quit voluntarily, and you may have to repay costs. Your employer has to agree to sponsor you.
  • How to start: Call 919-967-3272 or visit earlyyearsnc.org.

4. Wake Tech Apprenticeship + Wake Smart Start + WCPSS Pipeline

  • What it is: A partnership of Wake County Smart Start, Wake Tech, and WCPSS. Apprentices earn a paycheck at a childcare program while taking Early Childhood Education classes. Wake County pays tuition, fees, and books, and the employer gets a 50% wage-match reimbursement.
  • Who qualifies: Age 18 or older, with a high school diploma, eligible to work, and an NC driver's license. You need to be able to attend class 2 days a week at the Beltline Education Center in Raleigh.
  • Wake-specific notes: Up to 20 students a year. Applications open May 1, and the 2026 window is closed. Use the "Notify Me" form for 2027.
  • How to start: waketech.edu apprenticeship page, or call Wake County Smart Start at 919-851-9550.

5. NC Pre-K Pay Parity

  • What it is: Under NC Pre-K policy, licensed lead teachers at private NC Pre-K sites are paid on the public-school salary schedule. Wake County Smart Start works to keep pay at private Wake Pre-K sites in line with WCPSS.
  • Who qualifies: Lead teachers with a Birth–Kindergarten license teaching an NC Pre-K classroom.
  • Why it matters: Earning a Birth–Kindergarten license and teaching an NC Pre-K classroom is the biggest pay jump available to Wake childcare teachers.
  • How to start: Call Wake County Smart Start at 919-851-9550.

6. What You Can Ask Your Employer For

  • Will you sponsor me for T.E.A.C.H. and give me release time and the required raise or bonus?
  • Do you have a published salary scale with steps for credentials and degrees?
  • Can I move to an NC Pre-K classroom, which is paid at parity?
  • Will you host a Wake Tech apprentice? The 50% wage match helps free up budget.
  • Do you offer benefits like a retirement plan, a health stipend, free or discounted childcare for your own kids, or a referral bonus?
  • Will you confirm my employment promptly so my STEP$ payments aren't delayed?

7. Student Loan Forgiveness

  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): Only for employees of government or 501(c)(3) nonprofit employers. That includes Head Start, WCPSS, and many nonprofit or church-run centers. For-profit centers do not qualify. Details at studentaid.gov.
  • Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness: Applies only to K-12 teachers at low-income schools, not to childcare centers. It matters only if you move into WCPSS teaching.
  • NC-specific loan forgiveness for childcare teachers: None found.

Information was gathered from official program pages in November 2026. All STEP$ and WAGE$ payments depend on funding. Please confirm details with each program.