Sneads Ferry Quality Childcare & Preschool
About this Nominee
Sneads Ferry Quality Childcare & Preschool prides itself on achieving tremendous accomplishments throughout our years in business and especially in this past year. As a family owned and operated business in a small town of North Carolina, SFQCC has demonstrated perseverance to overcome record breaking hurricanes, a world-wide pandemic, times of adversity and so much more for over seven years.
Most recently awarded second place in the 2024 Topsail Choice Awards for “Best Educational Service” and nominated for Business North Carolina’s “2023 Best Small Business of the Year” and "2025 Best Small Business of the Year" by UNCW and Duke University.
We have faced the difficulties of inflation and the strain it puts on the families we serve. In a partnership with NC DCDEE and DHHS, we have received grant money which allows us to offset the cost of childcare for those facing financial hardships. We accept subsidized childcare vouchers through Onslow County and military subsidized childcare programs to support our active and retired military families. Using grant monies, teachers and staff have received considerable raises and bonuses to provide them with competitive wages which promote retention and longevity within our center’s workforce.
In addition, the Stabilization Grant was used to employ a surplus of additional teaching staff to compensate for the strain absent staff can have on the classroom environment. While other centers in our area are turning families away due to a staffing shortage, we provide continuous care for all enrolled families. In addition, the operational portion of the grant funding was used to improve learning spaces inside and out at all sites.
From providing full scholarships for all employees to earn associates, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in the field of early childhood education to including a fantastic benefits package that includes retirement, health insurance and paid time off, SFQCC/HRQCC/SFQCC II has always worked to enhance our employees’ position as early childhood educators and to remove the stigma often placed on ECE professionals to that of a desirable career. In the past year, several teachers graduated with their associate and bachelor’s degrees using our full scholarship initiative and partnership with the TEACH Program. Currently, several are working towards their master’s degrees in the field or administration credentials. Because of this, our interested teachers will be considered for promotions to higher positions within the company and in turn, continue to provide quality education and care for our students and build tenure with the company.
We have three locations in the Sneads Ferry and Holly Ridge areas to provide more childcare and preschool services to the surrounding community. Our newest location, Holly Ridge Quality Childcare & Preschool, was awarded five-stars in the beginning of 2023. HRQCC provides quality care and education for children ages three through twelve in the form of preschool, before and after school care, and summer camp programs. Our fantastic teachers and staff have been complimented again and again by the families they serve.
OnePlace of Onslow County and Duke University selected our three centers as partners for their 2022-2023 ITTI Care initiative. Through this partnership, ITTI Care supported our centers by promoting “strong and resilient early care and education workforce and early childhood system of care.” The partnership with Duke University’s ITTI Care Project provided training and support to our early childhood professionals providing coaching which in turn promoted an understanding of the impacts of stress and trauma on young minds, developing skills to form supportive, resilience-building relationships and learning environments, and identifying strategies to support childcare provider health and well-being.
SFQCC/HRQCC/SFQCC II is partnered with Cape Fear and Coastal Carolina Community Colleges to provide real-world classroom and teaching experiences for their students’ internships, in-service learning, and practicum experiences. Their ECE students have shown tremendous growth after spending time with our mentor teachers and working in our classrooms. These future educators have complimented and raved about our center after working with our mentor teachers and spending time in our classrooms.
SFQCC/HRQCC/SFQCC II helped pilot North Carolina’s Building Bright Futures Apprenticeship and Mentorship Program. This program collaborates with SFQCC/HRQCC/SFQCC II to create a training program that is designed to meet the needs of our center by providing the Apprentices and Pre-Apprentices with structured on-the-job learning, related instruction, and a progressive wage scale. Our Mentor Teachers will work closely with Apprentices and Pre-Apprentices through this program and guide them to be successful early childhood educators.
Each year, Sneads Ferry Quality Childcare & Preschool/ Holly Ridge Quality Childcare & Preschool/ Sneads Ferry Quality Childcare & Preschool II and its sister centers are accepted into the Quality Enhancement Initiative through Onslow County's OnePlace. With this initiative, our center continues to improve the quality of education and care through sponsoring continued teacher education and professional development. In addition, the centers receive support from OnePlace's Technical Assistance Specialists and work collaboratively to enhance the indoor and outdoor classroom learning environments. QEI provides grant money to purchase materials that enrich the classroom space for students and teachers. Our teachers receive bonuses through this initiative based on their length of employment with the company.
We host several free community events for families in the surrounding area. Some include our Annual Trunk-or-Treat, Spring Festivals and Kick-off to Summer events. Each year, over four hundred children attended these events with their families. These occasions provide opportunities for the families in our community to learn about available support resources, browse local small businesses, engage with emergency service workers, and enjoy free entertainment and activities with each other in a safe and fun environment. SFQCC/HRQCC/SFQCC II sets aside funding for these events as we feel they are a meaningful method to give back to the community we serve.
Over the years, SFQCC/HRQCC/SFQCC II have grown from one to three centers. Two of which have been awarded five-star licenses through the Environmental Rating Scale of North Carolina. We sponsor and donate to local causes frequently such as The Onslow County Police Department, The Annual Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival, The Onslow County and Turkey Creek Fire Departments, local school fundraisers, and more. We feel it is essential to give back to the community and support those who make Sneads Ferry and Holly Ridge wonderful places to live, work and raise a family.