How to Find Complaints Against North Carolina Child Care Centers

Complaints against child care centers are public record in North Carolina.

All child care centers are not created equal. For parents, choosing the right day care center is an important decision. Among the steps in the process is researching possible complaints against a child care provider you're considering. In North Carolina, the Division of Child Development monitors and regulates child care centers and maintains a database of complaints, investigation results and reports. DCD offers a variety of options for reviewing and obtaining this information.

Instructions

1. Call the DCD at 800-859-0829 if you live in North Carolina or 919-662-4499 if you are calling from another state. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. Provide the staff with the name, address and/or license number of the child care center. The DCD does not give information about child care centers over the phone. The staff will mail a copy of the child care provider's file to you. DCD only copies up to 150 pages of a file per provider.

2. Write a letter requesting a copy of a child care center's file and include the day care center's name, address and/or license number. You can request records for multiple day care centers. Mail the letter to: Division of Child Development, 319 Chapanoke Road, Suite 120, Raleigh, NC 27699-2201.

3. Visit the DCD website. Click the "Parents" tab and choose "Search for Child Care" from the menu on the left. The search provides basic information about the child care center, including a star rating. DCD assigns day care centers a rating of 1 to 5 stars. The rating system is based on how well a day care center satisfies quality guidelines in the areas of staff education, program standards and compliance history.

4. Visit the DCD office and ask to review and/or obtain a copy of a child care provider's file. Remember, the agency will only copy up to 150 pages per provider. However, if a provider's file exceeds 150 pages you can review the entire file in the office.

Tips & Warnings

• It may take up to three weeks before you receive copies of the requested information.

References

• Child care Services Association: Compliance History
• Division of Child Development: Overview

Resources

• Division of Child Development: Search for a Child Care Facility