Early Years Inc
Child Care Services Association (CCSA), also known as Early Years, is a North Carolina-based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving accessible and affordable quality early care and education. Headquartered in Chapel Hill, the organization operates at local, state, and national levels, serving families, communities, and the early childhood workforce. With 165 employees, CCSA functions as a managing agency for the NC CCR&R Council and provides comprehensive support across multiple service areas.
Key facts about Early Years Inc
- EIN
- 56-1514058
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $11,528,482
- Grants made (2025)
- 103
- Average grant
- $111,927
- Median grant
- $27,857
- Total assets
- $12,531,920
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Early Years Inc funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Early Years Inc's 103 itemized 2025 grants were North Carolina (99%). The most frequent recipient cities were Durham, NC (65 grants), Chapel Hill, NC (9 grants), Cary, NC (5 grants) and Raleigh, NC (4 grants). None of its 103 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Child Care Subsidy" (61 grants), "Child Care Subsidy/ Pre-k Support" (14 grants) and "Business Side" (8 grants).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$12.5M
+8.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$11.5M
+4.4% YoY
Grant Count
103
-7.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$112K
+12.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To ensure that affordable, accessible, high-quality child care is available for all young children and their families.
CCSA's primary focus areas include:
Child Care Wage$: A signature program designed to improve early care and education services by increasing compensation for early childhood professionals. The program uses a graduated supplement scale to attract and retain educated professionals while encouraging participants to pursue higher levels of education.
T.E.A.C.H. EC Scholarship: Provides college scholarships to support early childhood educators' educational advancement.
Award$: Salary supplement programs, including the Infant-Toddler Educator Award$ Plus, to support educator compensation.
Family Support Services: Helps families find and pay for quality child care across multiple counties.
Provider Support: Offers training, on-site consultations, nutrition services, and professional development to child care providers.
Workforce Development: Addresses systemic issues of under-education, low compensation, and high turnover in the early childhood workforce.
Grantmaking
CCSA operates as both a service provider and a grantmaking organization. Based on recent filings, the organization distributed approximately $28.5 million in grants. Typical grant awards range from $5,145 to $997,786.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CCSA's work spans multiple states, with primary focus in:
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Oregon
The organization provides family support services across several North Carolina counties as part of its managing agency role for the NC CCR&R Council.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 103 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Fiscal Year 2024:
- Total Assets: $11,581,198
- Total Revenues: $41,264,962
- Total Expenses: $40,618,684
- Number of Employees: 165
Grantmaking Activity:
- Total Giving: $28,495,335
- Average Grant Amount: Varies
- Median Grant Amount: Varies
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $12,531,920 | $11,581,198 | $10,856,451 |
| Revenue | $42,200,134 | $41,264,962 | $39,887,123 |
| Expenses | $41,599,725 | $40,618,684 | $39,181,155 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $153,640 | $141,541 | $75,479 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
548 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Early Years Inc
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Durham Public Schools Dba Hillandale Elem Prek ($684,113), Askorp Inc Dba Primary Colors Early Learning Center ($605,521), Childcare Network #57 ($569,052).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| DURHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS DBA HILLANDALE ELEM PREK DURHAM, NC | CHILD CARE SUBSIDY | $684,113 |
| ASKORP INC DBA PRIMARY COLORS EARLY LEARNING CENTER DURHAM, NC | CHILD CARE SUBSIDY/ PRE-K SUPPORT | $605,521 |
| CHILDCARE NETWORK #57 DURHAM, NC | CHILD CARE SUBSIDY/ PRE-K SUPPORT | $569,052 |
| FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES RISING INC DBA LEATHERS MEACHEM HEADSTART DURHAM, NC | CHILD CARE SUBSIDY/ PRE-K SUPPORT | $557,717 |
| PERMO CORPORATION DBA KIDS R KIDS RTP DURHAM, NC | CHILD CARE SUBSIDY | $545,882 |
| CHILDREN'S CAMPUS SOUTHPOINT DURHAM, NC | CHILD CARE SUBSIDY/ PRE-K SUPPORT | $524,345 |
| MARTIN-PITT PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILDREN GREENVILLE, NC | CHILD CARE RESOURCES AND REFERRAL SEVICES | $457,502 |
| SOUTHWESTERN CHILD DEV COM WEBSTER, NC | CHILD CARE RESOURCES AND REFERRAL SEVICES | $438,831 |
| ANB EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION LLC DURHAM, NC | CHILD CARE SUBSIDY | $437,529 |
| CHILD CARE RESOURCES INC CHARLOTTE, NC | CHILD CARE RESOURCES AND REFERRAL SEVICES | $422,405 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key personnel include:
- Kristi Snuggs: President
- Teresa Graves: Human Resources Director
- Cheryl Roy: Quality Enhancement Coach
- Christy Thalheimer: Director, Child Care Referral Program
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RICHARD BURTON | BOARD MEMBER (THR: 9/24) | 0.05 | — |
| MUFFY GRANT | BOARD MEMBER (FR: 9/24) | 0.15 | — |
| JENNIFER LACEWELL | BOARD MEMBER | — | — |
| ERIC POWELL | BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| ELLEN RECKHOW | BOARD MEMBER | 0.1 | — |
| ANA ELISA SANCHEZ | BOARD MEMBER | 0.05 | — |
| SANDY WEATHERSBEE | BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| HENRIETTA ZALKIND | BOARD MEMBER (FR: 11/24) | 0.15 | — |
| SHARON HIRSCH | CHAIR, EX OFFICIO (THR: 9/24) | 0.1 | — |
| ALEKSANDRA HOLOD | CHAIR | 0.35 | — |
| CARLA GARRETT | FIRST VICE CHAIR (FR: 9/24) | 0.2 | — |
| HAROLD SELLARS | FIRST VICE CHAIR (THR: 9/24) | 0.1 | — |
| SHERESA BOONE BLANCHARD | SECOND VICE CHAIR | 0.25 | — |
| DAVINA BOLDIN-WOODS | SECRETARY | 0.2 | — |
| CHRIS WILLETT | ASST SECRETARY | 0.2 | — |
| CHRISTOPHER RATTE | TREASURER | 0.35 | — |
| MICHELLE PECK | ASST TREASURER | 0.3 | — |
| KRISTI SNUGGS | PRESIDENT | 45 | $176,514 |
| EMMANUEL PAUL | CHIEF BUSINESS SERVICES OF | 45 | $123,201 |
| LINDA CHAPPEL | SR VP OF TRIANGLE CCR&R | 45 | $118,063 |
| EDITH LOCKE | SR VP PROFESSIONAL DEV INI | 45 | $122,984 |
| ALLISON MILLER | VP OF COMPENSATION INITIAT | 45 | $117,751 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
CCSA has been active in addressing the early childhood educator workforce crisis. The organization's Child Care Wage$ program continues to demonstrate success in reducing turnover and supporting educator retention and professional development. The program's focus on increased compensation and educational advancement reflects broader state and national efforts to strengthen the early care and education workforce.
Employer, state policies proposed to ease NC child care crisis - EdNCFrequently Asked Questions
What does Early Years Inc fund?
**Mission:** To ensure that affordable, accessible, high-quality child care is available for all young children and their families. CCSA's primary focus areas include: • **Child Care Wage$**: A signature program designed to improve early care and education services by increasing compensation for early childhood professionals. The program uses a graduated supplement scale to attract and retain educated professionals while encouraging participants to pursue higher levels of education. • **T.E.A.C…
How do I apply for a grant from Early Years Inc?
CCSA operates as both a service provider and a grantmaking organization. Based on recent filings, the organization distributed approximately $28.5 million in grants. Typical grant awards range from $5,145 to $997,786. **Program Outcomes:** The Child Care Wage$ program achieved measurable results in fiscal year 2024: • Turnover rate of 15% among wage$ participants, well below the 25% benchmark • 89% of participants in counties with at least two years of participation held an associate degree in …
Where does Early Years Inc make grants?
CCSA's work spans multiple states, with primary focus in: • North Carolina • South Carolina • Oregon The organization provides family support services across several North Carolina counties as part of its managing agency role for the NC CCR&R Council.
What size grants does Early Years Inc award?
In 2025, Early Years Inc awarded 103 grants totaling $11.5M — an average of about $112K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Early Years Inc's EIN?
Early Years Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1514058. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Early Years Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.