Of those that do, few have degrees in child development or early childhood education. Also in North Carolina and all over the country, child care professionals often make little more than minimum wage and receive few or no benefits. This leads to the inability of the field to attract and retain well-educated professionals. For an additional listing of Project goals, click here . The scholarship usually covers partial costs for tuition and books or assessment fees.
Many scholarships require that the recipient receive paid release time and a travel stipend.
In return for receiving a scholarship, each participant must complete a certain amount of education, usually in the form of college coursework, during a prescribed contract period. Participants then must honor their commitment to stay in their child care program or the field for six months to a year, depending on the scholarship program. To find out specific amounts for each component above, click on one of the scholarship programs listed below the next question. Child care providers can contract for a minimum of one class to earn the North Carolina Early Childhood Administration Credential, a minimum of two classes to earn the North Carolina Early Childhood Credential, or can work toward a Certificate, Diploma, Associate or Bachelor Degree in Early Childhood Education. One course for undergraduate or graduate credit is also offered to master teachers to train them to mentor beginning teachers.