NC CCHC Course

The North Carolina Child Care Health Consultant Course is designed to provide training in child care health consultation to those who have been hired to work as Child Care Health Consultants (CCHCs) or those whose job function includes providing CCHC services.

The NC CCHC Course teaches health professionals the skills needed to provide child care health consultation and coaching and to fulfill their role as CCHCs. The Course also provides the information, resources, and hands-on experiences to inform CCHC practice. Students receive training in providing comprehensive site assessments, technical assistance, training, consultation, coaching, and child advocacy.

This NC CCHC Course runs approximately twelve weeks and includes weekly readings and videos, portfolio tasks/assignments, weekly zoom meetings, content-related quizzes, and one in-person session in the Raleigh area.

Course Outline At-A-Glance

• Virtual Orientation: The Role of the Child Care Health Consultant (CCHC)
• Lesson 1: Quality Improvement and Assessment of Health, Safety, and Wellness Practices
• Lesson 2: Working with Early Educators to Improve Quality: Consultation, Coaching, and Equity/Cultural Competence
• Lesson 3: Training Implementation and Health Education
• Lesson 4: Quality Child Care and Regulations
• Lesson 5: Children with Special Health Care Needs and Community/Professional Supports
• Lesson 6: Child Care and Development Fund Health and Safety Training Topics
• Lesson 7: Child Care and Development Fund Health and Safety Training Topics
• Lesson 8: Other Subject Matter Areas

Agenda for in-person session (Raleigh area)

• Preparing for the in-person session
• In-person day 1: Administration of Medication and Training Demonstrations
• In-person day 2: Classroom observation, Debriefing, and North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project (NCRLAP)

Health professionals with experience in early childhood health and safety and whose job requires providing health and safety consultation services to local child care facilities. Course participants include those who are funded by local health agencies, local Partnerships for Children (Smart Start), Head Start/Early Head Start, the Military, or similar community-based agencies that provide CCHC services.

Requirements for acceptance into the NC CCHC Course:

• Current job responsibilities that include providing child care health consultation services as outlined in the CCHC Program Manual
• Experience in or knowledge of the following areas:
  • Pediatric health
  • Community health
  • Health education
  • Early care and education
• Be one of the following:
  • A licensed health care professional:
    • This includes a registered nurse, physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or similar with an active license that is unencumbered in the state where CCHC services are provided.

• • A health educator with either a minimum of:
    • A bachelors degree from a four-year college or university with a major in health education or related field such as community health or health promotion. Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) designation preferred.
    • A bachelors degree from a four-year college or university and at least three years experience working in public health education. Experience must include working primarily as a public health educator within the last five years.

The NC Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center reserves the right to accept or decline any application to the NC CCHC Course.

If you have been hired by an agency in North Carolina as a CCHC, please reach out to your CCHC Coach/Implementation Specialist.

If you are providing CCHC services independently or working outside of North Carolina, complete our interest form to determine if you meet the CCHC Course requirements. If your interest form indicates that you do meet minimum requirements, you will be sent the course application prior to the next course start date.

Former CCHCs that have not:

• worked as a CCHC in the past three years or
• successfully completed the Course in the past three years and
• are considered inactive by the NC Resource Center (active CCHCs are listed here Find a CCHC)

must retake the NC CCHC Course to be considered an active CCHC. For more information, contact the NC Resource Center.