North Carolina is in the middle of one of the most significant child welfare modernization efforts in its history. NC DHHS is rebuilding the systems, tools, and infrastructure that protect children and support families across all 100 counties. Here is what that transformation looks like and why it matters.
PATH NC: A Unified System for All 100 Counties
For years, North Carolina’s child welfare system was fragmented. Nearly half of counties still relied on paper records to track child protective services cases and family assessments. Information did not travel across county lines, and caseworkers often lacked the data they needed to make timely, informed decisions.
PATH NC, the Partnership and Technology Hub for North Carolina, is the state’s direct response. Launched June 2, 2025, this $65 million statewide child welfare information system brings all 100 counties onto a single, unified platform for the first time.
The system is built around the realities of child welfare work:
- Mobile friendly design lets caseworkers document case activity in the field, during home visits, court hearings, or emergency assessments, without waiting to return to an office.
- Built in Structured Decision Making tools, certified by Evident Change, guide frontline staff through consistent, evidence based risk and safety assessments. Early case reviews show intake decisions are aligning more consistently with state policy.
- Real time dashboards and alerts give supervisors visibility into caseloads as they evolve, making it easier to identify patterns and intervene early.
- Future integration with NC Medicaid and the NC Department of Public Instruction will give caseworkers a fuller picture of each child’s health and education history within one system.
Rollout is phased across the state. Fifteen counties went live in June 2025. All remaining counties will transition for intake and assessment over the next eight months. Full case management implementation, covering foster care, adoption, financials, licensing, and eligibility, begins in early 2026 and is expected to be complete by summer 2026.
Supporting Children and Families Beyond Technology
PATH NC sits within a broader set of initiatives focused on whole child, whole family wellbeing. NC DHHS is expanding behavioral health services for children through Youth Mental Health First Aid training, pediatric consultation via the NC Psychiatric Access Line, and trauma informed care training for early childhood providers. The Child and Family Specialty Plan supports the health care needs of children in the child welfare system, while expanded kinship caregiver support keeps more children connected to family placements. NCCARE360 and nutrition security programs connect families to food and social support resources alongside clinical services.
Your Experience Is Needed
Modernizing a system of this scale requires professionals who understand how child welfare programs actually operate. Greensboro Staffing Consultants is actively supporting this work through our Government Solutions staff augmentation services, placing skilled professionals in roles supporting NC DHHS initiatives across child welfare, Medicaid, and related programs.
If you have experience with PATH NC, NCFAST, NC Medicaid, child welfare administration, or related public sector programs, your background is directly relevant to the work being done across North Carolina today.
Explore open opportunities with Greensboro Staffing Consultants and apply today to put your experience to work where it matters most.