Category: CCHC

Member Spotlight

Meet member Beth Porreco, RN, BSN a Regional Infant Toddler Child Care Health Consultant at the NC Child Care Health & Safety Resource Center

Beth received her BS Business Management from Pembroke State University (now UNC-P) in 1983. She also received her Associate Degree in Nursing from Wake Tech Community College in 1989 and her BSN in 2009 from UNC-CH.

Beth began her nursing career on a Med/Surg. unit, but after enjoying her public health rotation in nursing school, a career in public health focusing on prevention called to her. During her years in public health she served her community in a variety of roles in her local health department as a child health nurse, immunization role, OB, and CC4C supervisor, intervention clinician. Beth has spent the last five years as a Child Care Health Consultant, and currently is the Regional Infant Toddler CCHC at the NC Child Care Health & Safety Resource Center.

What was your happiest experience as a CCHC? 

My happiest experiences have involved being together, in person, with other CCHC’s and learning from them.  Two of the most fun times that I remember are the Pyramid Conference in March of 2019.  Who knew making connections in the brain using straws could be so fun?  Amy Petersen, Lisa Shifflett, Marcia from Richmond County, Holly from Guilford, Rhonda Rambeaut, and I had too much fun with that activity.  Lots of good belly laughs.  The other fun time was at a sanitation workshop (strange but true) in 2019 in Salisbury with Dawn Lamb, Stacy Rosser, Karla Cooper, and Lisa Terry. Karla was still with Wake County Health Department.  We all got to know each other better as we discussed our CCHC experiences and personal experiences. 

What message would you give current CCHCs? 

Those of you who are the only CCHC in your community, please know that you are not alone. I would encourage each of you to join the CCHC Association to have networking opportunities with the CCHC’s in your area to enable you to support each other and learn from one another as well.  All CCHCs have a coach at the Resource Center as well as the resources on the RC website for your professional development and enhancement of your CCHC practice. You also have Infant-Toddler support. I encourage all CCHCs to attend the learning collaboratives, HSAET office hours, webinars for CCHCs and supervisors as these are extremely important for your ongoing learning.  These resources are made available to you to enable you to provide excellent TA to early childhood educators in your area. Please take advantage of these opportunities virtually and, of course, the in-person opportunities such as CCHC Association regional meetings and the CCHC Association’s annual conference, to build relationships and connect with one another.

What has CCHC Association membership meant to you both personally and professionally?

Relationships are important to me, so the Association has been important to me in bringing CCHCs together in regional meetings and at the annual conferences before and after COVID 19, in person, and during COVID 19, virtually. The Association has been key, as I said earlier, in developing relationships with those CCHC’s in my area as well as across the state.  The opportunities to discuss new rules, recommendations, etc. has certainly helped me in understanding how to incorporate those rules/recommendations into practice. Being on the PAE committee was a learning experience.  I learned we have some great minds with much passion for the work of the CCHC. 

Any future plans that you would like to share?

Remains to be seen what’s in store! I wish each of you much success personally and professionally.  Thanks to each of you for what you do to support health and safety in childcare.

 The Association congratulates Beth on her retirement. Best wishes as you embark on this new journey!

To see yourself or a colleague in the spotlight, just contact us with some basic information.  A member of the website committee will then follow up with you.  It only takes a minute and the committee would love to hear from you and share our members accomplishments.

Watch Me Grow

Lani Hindman Child Care Health Consultant with Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children worked with two child care facilities for the Watch Me Grow project.

The project was funded by a grant provided by ECU Health. Two centers were chosen out of applicants. Technical assistance focused on healthy eating, physical activity with a strong concentration on Farm to ECE. Centers utilized GO NAPSACC throughout the program.

Each center received a garden at their center. “We schedule a planting day for us to go to the center to work with children, staff, and some parents to build a garden for the center to enjoy for years to come!” Lani said. 

The gardens were built and planted in April.
The gardens now!
“Why try to explain miracles to your children when you can have them plant a garden.” -Janet Kilburn Phillips

Kudos to Lani for such a wonderful project! We love to share the amazing work CCHCs do! If you have something you would like to share, just contact us with some basic information.  A member of the website committee will then follow up with you.  It only takes a minute and the committee would love to hear from you and share our members accomplishments. 

CCHC Outreach 4/4/23

You are invited to join the Public Awareness and Education Committee outreach efforts in Raleigh.  This committee organized a meeting with Representative’s White and Reeder to be held on April 4th at 1 pm in Raleigh.

Goals of this meeting are to share the highlights of CCHC works.  Everyone is invited to share their experiences and dedication to the field.  This is a great opportunity to network with other CCHC’s and meet Representatives that support the work of the CCHC.   

Send us a message at NCCCHCA@outlook.com for more information.

Hope to see you there!

Recently Certified/Endorsed CCHCs   

The CCHC Association Certification Committee congratulates our recently Certified/Endorsed CCHCs!   

Jennifer Bruni – Henderson, Polk, Rutherford 

Katie Gaddy – Mecklenburg 

LaKeasha Glaspie – New Hanover, Pender 

Robin Worley – Buncombe 

Sharleen Laporte – Lee, Harnett 

The North Carolina Child Care Health Consultant Certification and Technical Assistance Endorsement (CCHC-C/E) verifies that a qualified health professional has met the requirements established by the NCCCHCA and the NC Institute for Child Development Professionals. 

Read more about CCHC Certification

WNC Regional Early Care & Education Summit

The inaugural event was held Monday, October 17, 2022 at Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus

The NC Division of Child Development and Early Education (NCDCDEE) requires a certain number of training hours per year based on facility license as well as staff education and experience. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it even more difficult or educators to obtain these required hours.

CCHC Cassie Rogers, CCHC Megan Cagle with Registered Environmental Health Specialist
Travis Monteith


Child Care Health Consultants and Association members Meagan Cagle (Jackson & Swain Counties) and Cassie Rogers (Haywood County), and Registered Environmental Health Specialist Travis Monteith from the Jackson County Department of Public Health saw the need for trainings for early educators in the region.

This event provided 164 early educators in Jackson, Haywood, Swain, Macon, Cherokee, Clay and Graham Counties with eight free hours of professional development, and was sponsored by grant funds through the Jackson County Department of Public Health.

There were 13 speakers who generously donated their time and expertise, ensuring early educators in the region received professional development directly related to their field. Lunch and goodie bags were provided to participants as a small display of gratitude to early educators for providing nurturing and safe care to our region’s most vulnerable population, our children.

We love to share the amazing work CCHCs do! If you have something you would like to share, just contact us with some basic information.  A member of the website committee will then follow up with you.  It only takes a minute and the committee would love to hear from you and share our members accomplishments. 

2022 Annual CCHC Conference

The 2022 Annual CCHC Conference was a great success. Many CCHCs enjoyed connecting for the first time in person and reconnecting with old friends. We were able to celebrate recent graduates and learn the latest information from experts from DCDEE, Environmental Health, Equity Research Action Coalition, and the Division of Child and Family Well Being. Attendees were encouraged and uplifted by speakers. Thank you to all the CCHCs who attended for making the first in person conference in three years a success! View the selfies from the conference  

The Association would also like to congratulate our newly elected Vice-Chair, Sheena Butler and Treasurer, Farran Rhyne. Please reach out to any of the Association officers or contact us here if you would like to become involved with your association.

Association Chair Chrissy Wolfe welcomes attendees to the 2022 conference.

UNC Gillings School News

We are delighted to announce that the work of Child Care Health Consultants (CCHCs) across the state and the training and support that the NC Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center provides to CCHCs were highlighted in a recent article in the UNC Gillings School News. The article features North Carolina Child Care Health Consultant Association members: Jacquie Simmons, MScPH and Public Awareness and Advocacy Committee Chair Cindy M. Smith, BSN, RN, CCHC-C. We invite you to visit the UNC Gillings School News website to read the article.

Public health in practice: The NC Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center

Member Spotlight

The North Carolina Child Care Health Consultant Association is a membership association of health professionals who provide an array of health, safety, nutrition and behavioral consultation services for early care and education programs.

Get to know our members!

Sherry Clark, RN, CCHC

Meet member Sherry Clark, RN, CCHC

Sherry received her Associate Degree from University of South Carolina, Florence Regional Extension in 1970. She began her nursing career at McLeod Hospital in 1970. Sherry has served her community as a Registered Nurse in many settings: Southwest Virginia Training Center, Pitt County Memorial Hospital, and Beaufort County Home.

Sherry began her CCHC career at Beaufort County Health Department in 2005. In 2011, she joined Beaufort Hyde Partnership. In the spring of 2022, Sherry will officially begin her retirement and we would like to honor her contributions and years of service. 

What was your happiest experience as a CCHC? I have enjoyed not having to supervise anyone but me, flexible schedule, weekends and holidays off, and anytime (pre-COVID) I needed a “baby fix” I could visit a center at mealtime and help feed babies.

What message would you give current CCHCs? Remember, you are not alone. Reach out to your support system. Your coaches, fellow CCHCs, and co-workers are there for your support. They are more than willing to help answer questions, give you moral support, and listen to you vent if necessary.

Any future plans that you would like to share? I plan on frequent trips to my camper in Ocracoke, lots of yard work, porch swinging, and book reading.

The Association would like to thank Sherry for all her years of service and commitment and wish her a very Happy Retirement!

To see yourself or a colleague in the spotlight, just contact us with some basic information.  A member of the website committee will then follow up with you.  It only takes a minute and the committee would love to hear from you and share our members accomplishments.