Frequently Asked Questions

The application has three parts. First, the eligibility form takes about 5 minutes to complete. If eligible, you’ll receive an email link to the full application, which takes about 30-60 minutes to complete, depending on how familiar you are with your policies. Finally, we will share a link to an employee survey for you to distribute to all NC-based employees.

If you are determined eligible for certification upon completing the eligibility form, you'll receive an email inviting you to complete the full application and a pdf preview of the application. You may review the pdf to consider your answers before completing the application online. In addition, once you begin your application, you can save your answers and return later as needed.

The online survey that we ask you to distribute to your employees is available in over 100 languages. Users can select their preferred language at the top of the webpage on either a desktop or mobile device.

Only employees physically working in NC (in-office or remotely within NC) will participate in the employee survey. Employees of your organization located outside of NC do not participate in the survey. 

All of our application process is conducted electronically, including the employee survey. The survey can completed on either a desktop or mobile device (such as a cellphone or tablet).  Please contact the Family Forward NC® team if you have any accessibility concerns.

Yes. Employers will receive results, in aggregate, from the employee surveys. Total data is presented in graphs and charts, as well as the open-ended comments from employees. We provide this information so employers can identify areas for review within their own policies and organization. Employee survey results will not disqualify you from Certification.

If you are a subsidiary, franchise, or entity of a larger corporation, you are eligible to certify only your NC location, based on the policies and benefits applicable to NC employees. 

The Family Forward NC® team will be in touch via email within 15 business days of receiving your application, if not sooner. Depending on your ability to provide verification documents and distribute the employee survey to your workforce in a timely manner, the time from application to certification could take as little as two weeks or as long as a few months.

Nearly all employers who pass the eligibility quiz become certified after completing the full application and verification process. However, it is possible that upon review of your application and handbook, your organization may not meet our standards for certification. If this is the case, we provide resources and recommendations to help get you there next time.

All applicants must pay the non-refundable $50 Application Fee. The Certification Fee, due upon certification, is based on the total number of employees in your organization (full and part-time employees physically working in the US):

• 2-49 employees: $200
• 50-99 employees: $450
• 100-499 employees: $750
• 500+ employees: $1,500

Yes. If you choose to recertify after two years, all applicants must pay the application fee ($50) and applicable certification fee.

Family Forward NC® is an initiative of the NC Early Childhood Foundation (NCECF). Your fees go directly back to NCECF to help cover some of the costs for processing applications.

Your Family Forward NC® Employer Certification is good for two years. We will notify you when it is time to recertify.

We mostly communicate via email, from familyforwardnc@buildthefoundation.org. If you are not receiving communication, it is likely that our email address is going to your spam folder or has been blocked by your server. Please add us to your contacts and take internal measures to prevent this from happening, as our emails contain important links and steps in the process to becoming certified.

Yes! Email us at familyforwardnc@buildthefoundation.org or call the NC Early Childhood Foundation at 919-895-3290.