For decades, Early Years has worked to ensure that high-quality early childhood care and education continue to improve and to become more accessible to families with young children. One of the many ways we are doing this is to increase access to before- and after-school child care (also known as “Wrap Around” care) through the Early Years Wrap Scholarship Program.

Meeting the needs of working families

Early child care is offered for free or reduced fees to many families who qualify. But work schedules and other obligations require more extended care for some families. Most PreK programs require an extra fee for before- and after-school care, but families who are stretched financially may need extra support to access these services. That’s where the Wrap Scholarship comes in.

"Many families are struggling just to make ends meet. While the regular Pre-K day provides children with a wonderful opportunity to learn, grow, and prepare for kindergarten, some families simply cannot afford to miss work or adjust their schedules because the Pre-K day begins after their workday starts," said Michelle Hearon, Child Care Program Director for Early Years. "The Wrap Scholarship Program helps bridge that gap by ensuring children have access to safe, high-quality care before and after the Pre-K day, while also allowing parents to maintain employment and support their families. At the same time, children continue to develop the skills they need to be successful in kindergarten and beyond."

"Offering funding of this type is so necessary, especially in today's climate with the threat of ending important early childhood education opportunities,” said a recent recipient of the Wrap Scholarship (recipients’ names are withheld to respect privacy). “Our family is thankful that we were able to receive this much-needed assistance and provide some financial relief for our household."

Who qualifies for the Wrap Scholarship?

The Wrap Scholarship program is specifically intended for children enrolled in NC Pre-K or Durham Pre-K who are not receiving the Department of Social Services Child Care Subsidy and do not have another funding source to cover care outside of the regular Pre-K day. 

To be eligible, families must:

• Be Durham County residents;
• Have a child accepted into an approved NC PreK or Durham PreK classroom;
• Attend a PreK site that offers wrap-around care services;
• Meet one of the following activity requirements: employed a minimum of 30 hours per week, enrolled in school full-time, or a combination of both; and
• Meet the applicable income eligibility guidelines.

“The scholarship meant everything! I have what people consider a good job, but after bills, insurance, and housing, there is just nothing left,” said another recent recipient. “This scholarship meant my child got the head start in her education that she deserved. Now she is ready for school!”

A simple application process

Early Years has made the application process for the Wrap Scholarship very simple. Early Years reviews interest forms completed by families who seek a Wrap Scholarship.  All PreK applications are automatically reviewed for consideration for the project.

“The great thing is we don’t require families to submit a separate application for this project,” said Hearon. “As long as they have a PreK application we have that information.” 

Hearon is quick to point out that families who qualify for free or reduced PreK programs aren’t automatically eligible for the Wrap Scholarship. Currently, 19 PreK programs offer wrap-around care services. 

“Typically we look to serve about 50 children per funding source (funding comes from both DPK and North Carolina PreK sources),” said Hearon, who added that attrition throughout the year plus additional funding that might be identified could provide more scholarships.

In fact, for the 2025-26 school year, a total of 128 children qualified for the Wrap Scholarship Program at some point throughout the year. 

Summer care plan

Early Years also offers a summer care plan for families who qualify and who have received a Wrap Scholarship in the current year. This is designed to help with the transition from the PreK environment to a successful start for the K-12 experience. 

“In between the PreK year ending and the first day of kindergarten, we will transition to a summer care plan, which is a full day that we are helping families to pay for child care during that window of time,” said Hearon. She added that while this isn’t automatically available to every family who qualifies for the Wrap Scholarship, it does typically serve an average of 50 children each summer. 

The Wrap Scholarship and summer program are helping an increasing number of families who need full-time care for their children, said Hearon.

“This project is meeting a need in the community, and we are seeing many families appreciate the resource,” she said.

For more information and to apply, visit Early Years Wrap Scholarship Program.