Publications

Using A Whole Family Care Approach to Support Children’s Oral Health Outcomes

February 2024

When caregivers are insured through any means and use their health coverage, they are more likely to have children who also have health coverage and regularly attend preventative services like well child check-ups. Known as the “welcome mat” effect, this relationship between caregivers having health coverage and the positive health outcomes of the children under their care is the foundational principle to using a Whole Family Care approach to support child oral health outcomes.

Supporting Oral Health for Children and Families with Special Health Care Needs

February 2024

In collaboration with Medicaid members and systems advocates, NC Child believes that solutions are needed to incentivize, modernize, and simplify access to oral health care under Medicaid, particularly for children and families with special health care needs.

Oral Health Access in Medicaid

February 2024

North Carolina provides dental benefits for children and adults enrolled in Medicaid, but access to dental care is not uniform throughout the state as all counties, metro and rural, are designated shortage areas for dental care.(1)

2023 Child Health Report Card

April 2023

The North Carolina Child Health Report Card, published biannually by the North Carolina Institute of Medicine and NC Child, tracks key indicators of child health and well-being in four areas:
Healthy Births
Access to Care
Secure Homes & Neighborhoods, and
Health Risk Factors

The report provides data on such health concerns and risk factors as asthma, teen births, infant mortality, poverty, and child deaths.

HB 343/SB 288: Improving Child Care Subsidy Rates

February 2023

Parents need choices for child care. Across the state, parents face a shortage of quality child care options, which has been made worse by the pandemic. Increasing the subsidy rates to the most recent statewide average rates can help child care centers stay open, or reopen, to serve more children & families who need care to go to work.

Health Care Can’t Wait: How Medicaid Expansion Helps Kids

February 2023

Increasing access to affordable health care is critical to ensuring healthy kids and families in North Carolina.

Boosting School Success: Removing Barriers to School Meals

February 2023

In North Carolina, 1 in 6 children struggle with hunger, which means they aren’t able to get enough food or they aren’t able to get enough healthy food. That’s over 400,000 children in our state. Yet 29% of those children do not qualify for free or reduced-price school meals because their family’s income is too high. Providing no-cost school meals can help.

2023 Legislative Agenda

January 2023

NC Child's 2023 Legislative Agenda is leading with four policy priorities that build family economic security, and safeguard youth mental health.

Making Early Care and Learning Affordable for Families

October 2022

Every year, tens of thousands of young children from low-income families benefit from North Carolina's early learning and care programs. This system supports the care, education, and healthy development of children living in poverty, prioritizing parental choice and children's individual needs. Unfortunately, due to funding rates & levels, the programs only reach a fraction of eligible children—putting child care and early learning out of reach for thousands of families who want to work and support their children. Learn about the various early care and learning programs that serve kids and families.