Funding Amount
$600 - $4,000 per year
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Grant Type
foundation
Overview
WAGE$ Salary Supplement Program
Funder: Smart Start Partnership for Children
Geographic Scope: North Carolina
Overview: WAGE$ provides salary supplements twice per year to early childhood educators based on education level.
- Amount: $600 - $4,000 per year (distributed twice per year)
- Frequency: Semi-annual payments
Award Details
- Teachers must earn $17 or less per hour
- Must teach children ages 0-5 at least 10 hours per week
- Must remain at the same child care program for 6 months
- Award amount varies by education level
Eligibility Requirements
- Administrator: Child Care Services Association (CCSA)
- Phone: 1-919-967-3272
- Organization: Smart Start Partnership for Children
- Address: 525 North Justice Street, Hendersonville, NC 28739
- Phone: 828-693-1580
- Fax: 828-693-9659
- Email: info@smartstartpfc.org
- Hours: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm, Monday - Friday
Contact Information
How to Apply
How to Apply
1. Contact the WAGE$ Counselor at Child Care Services Association (CCSA)
- Phone: 1-919-967-3272
- Ask to speak with a WAGE$ counselor
2. Verify Eligibility
- Confirm hourly wage ($17 or less)
- Confirm teaching hours (minimum 10 hours per week with ages 0-5)
- Confirm employment stability (6-month commitment to same program)
- Verify education level
3. Complete Application Process through CCSA (specific details not provided on website)
What Smart Start Partnership for Childre actually gave
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, 2024
- Grants in 2024
- 15
- Total given
- $1.25M
- Median grant
- $35K
- Range
- $6,000–$359K
- By dollars: North Carolina 100%. Top recipient cities: Hendersonville, NC; Brevard, NC; Burnsville, NC.
- 0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
- 0% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.
Example grants
Smart Start of Transylvania County · Brevard, NC
Grant partner
$359K
Children & Family Resource Center · Hendersonville, NC
Service provider
$257K
Blue Ridge Partnership for Children · Burnsville, NC
Grant partner
$175K
Little Blessings Christian Academy · Hendersonville, NC
Child care subsidy
$138K
Nessa's Young'uns Natural Play Cent · Flat Rock, NC
Child care subsidy
$103K
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
Categories
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