There’s good news for Forsyth County families looking for ways to afford the rising costs of child care. Registration for free Pre-K classroom slots just opened, both the Forsyth County Department of Social Services and Smart Start of Forsyth County are offering child care financial assistance programs, and new federal tax changes expand child care benefits for both employers and employees.

“We’re fortunate to have several programs in Forsyth County providing meaningful financial relief to families who need help paying for child care,” said Leslie Mullinix, project director for The Pre-K Priority. “The Pre-K Priority wants to ensure that all Forsyth County families have the access they need to local child care assistance supports and resources.”

Here are three important resources to help families with child care access and assistance:

Free Pre-K Programs: Forsyth County offers free Pre-K classroom slots through the NC Pre-K program, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and Head Start for the 2026-27 school year for children who are four years old by August 31, 2026. Registration opened on February 16 with a new online application. First time visitors to the portal will need to log in with their email and choose a password. With approximately 4,500 four-year-olds each year in Forsyth County, organizers anticipate strong demand for the free Pre-K slots with waiting lists.

“As we kick off the start of Pre-K registration, we are excited to launch our new online-only application which is designed to be easier for families to complete and track the status of their application throughout the process,” said Saquana Terry, Director of Children & Family Services at Smart Start of Forsyth County. “We encourage every family interested in free Pre-K offerings to start the registration process early and submit their application by May 31 for the best opportunity for placement.”

After May 31, Smart Start of Forsyth County will pause accepting applications as they begin the placement process. A second application submission window will begin July 8. Families who have questions or need support should contact the Smart Start of Forsyth County office at 336-725 6011 to meet with a Smart Start team member.

Families can learn more about free and private-pay Pre-K options on The Pre-K Priority website.

Child Care Financial Assistance: The Forsyth County Department of Social Services and Smart Start of Forsyth County are offering financial assistance programs for families needing child care. This year, there are additional resources, and both organizations hope to fulfill qualifying requests with no waiting lists.

- The Child Care Assistance Program managed by Forsyth County Department of Social Services helps qualifying families afford child care by providing subsidies for children birth through age 12. Families can contact the Child Care Assistance Program office at (336) 703-3800 to learn more.

- The Smart Start of Forsyth County Child Care Scholarships provide financial assistance for families who qualify for TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) or CCDF (Child Care and Development Fund).

- The Family Child Care Scholarship Program from Smart Start offers financial assistance to qualifying families for wrap-around care for children enrolled in NC Pre-K, Head Start, or the Centers for Exceptional Children.

- Emergency Child Care Scholarships from Smart Start are available for families needing immediate child care assistance as they navigate unexpected challenges such as homelessness, medical issues, parent incarceration, immediate family death or other special circumstances.

Families who wish to learn more about the Smart Start child care assistance programs can call the Smart Start of Forsyth County office at (336) 714-4354 or email childcarescholarship@smart-start-fc.org.

New Tax Changes for Child Care: Starting January 1, 2026, employers and employees will be able to take advantage of new IRS tax changes designed to help with child care expenses. Employers can now claim 40% of expenses related to child care (up from 25%) with an annual cap of $500,000 (up from $150,000). Eligible small businesses can now claim up to 50% of expenses with a maximum credit of $600,000. There’s also increased flexibility in how the credits are used by businesses. Employees can benefit from an increase in the maximum annual exclusion for Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts ($7,500 up from $5,000) and a slight increase in the Child Tax Credit ($2,200 up from $2,000).

As federal tax changes may make it more financially viable for Forsyth County employers to assist their employees with child care expenses, employers should reach out to Smart Start of Forsyth County about North Carolina’s Tri-Share program. The NC Tri-Share Program is a statewide public-private partnership that divides the cost of child care equally among participating employers, families and the State of North Carolina.

Visit www.smartstart-fc.org/nc_trishare to learn more.

“It’s critical that we continue to break down the financial barriers that keep young families in our community from securing quality child care for their children,” said Mullinix. “Not only is available, accessible and affordable child care key to enabling parents to enter and remain in the workforce, but we know that children who participate in a high-quality Pre-K program will be better prepared for kindergarten and beyond.”

To learn more about the ongoing work of The Pre-K Priority, visit prekpriority.org.

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