Dare County, NC
MenuFamily Services
Our Family Services unit provides a variety of assistance services to families in need. Energy assistance programs provide assistance with heating or cooling emergencies. Child care assistance grants parents the ability to maintain employment through access to safe, quality and affordable child care. Medicaid patients are assisted with transportation needs to promote access to health care. Emergency Assistance helps families with rent and utility costs in crisis situations.
Comprehensive and intensive services are available for families through the Family Support social workers, that are experiencing difficulties that could potentially place their children at higher risk for Child Protective Services involvement or to families that are dealing with an unexpected family crisis.
Child Day Care Services
North Carolina's Division of Child Development uses a combination of state and federal funds to provide subsidized child care services to eligible families through a locally administered state-supervised voucher system. The amount of funding allocated to each county is determined by legislation.
If a family meets the eligibility criteria, the state of North Carolina pays a portion of the cost of child care. Parents are free to choose a child care arrangement that best fits their needs as long as the provider chosen participates in the Subsidized Child Care Program.
The amount the state pays for child care depends on:
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The family’s situational criteria
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The family's income
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The cost of the child care provided
Helpful Resources:
Guide for Making Child Care Decisions During Uncertain Times
NC Division of Child Development
Dare County Children and Youth Partnership
Emergency Services
Emergency assistance programs provide eligible families that are experiencing a financial crisis with assistance in paying utilities, rent/mortgage, and providing food resources among other things. Families must meet program specific eligibility requirements to qualify. In some situations, families that would need emergency assistance may have received an eviction notice or a utility cut-off notice, are in need of life-saving medication, or may be in need due to a chronic illness or substance abuse problem.
Non Emergency Medicaid Transportation
Transportation to and from providers is a critical component for Medicaid beneficiaries to obtain necessary health care. Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) services consist of arranging and/or paying for transportation. Eligible recipient must be receiving full Medicaid benefits and receiving a Medicaid covered service provided by a qualified Medicaid provider. Medicaid only pays the least expensive means suitable to the recipient’s needs. For more information about this program, please contact the Medicaid Transportation Coordinator at 252.475.5500 or leave an after hours message at 252.475.5559.
Family Support Services
Our Family Support Services program is a voluntary program available to families residing in Dare County with at least one child under 18 years of age in the home. This intensive program focuses on increasing the family stability, strengthening family relationships, identifying support systems and consistently meeting the needs of the family.
Social workers assist family members in setting goals to help the family reach their fullest potential and prevent issues of abuse and/or neglect. Issues commonly addressed include mental health, chronic illness, special educational needs and substance abuse.
We advocate for necessary services and resources to achieve individualized goals by working with medical, educational, mental health and community resources.
Work First Benefits
The Work First Program offers support for adults towards obtaining and maintaining employment. The goal of this program is to move families from dependence on public assistance to economic self-sufficiency.
Support includes evaluation of job skills and areas of interest, education and vocational training, day care for the children, help with the cost of transportation to work, assistance with job search and job retention and any other needs that are barriers to work.
Work First requires caretakers to be responsible for themselves and the well-being of their children. Each adult recipient must sign a mutual responsibility agreement plan of action which outlines goals specific to their individual situation. The goals must be met each month in order to receive a check, unless there is good cause. A specific number of hours must be met that include work related activities such as job search, job readiness, employment, alternative work, community service, and attending school/classes.