Early childhood reflections from D.C. to the local level

Family choice, local momentum, state funding streams

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I spent time with child care journalists (see photo above) from across the country at the beginning of this month in Washington, D.C., at a conference hosted by New America’s Better Life Lab and sponsored by the Bainum Family Foundation. It was a breath of fresh air to meet other reporters dedicated to telling stories about the realities facing young children and their families — and to dream about the possibilities of better realities.

Since I’ve been back in North Carolina, I’ve been in Raleigh, Jacksonville, and Rocky Mount in rooms with people discussing challenges and opportunities in early care and education. Katie also attended and wrote about the latest meeting of Gov. Josh Stein’s Task Force on Child Care & Early Education, a room in which state leaders and legislators heard the emotional stories of providers on the brink of closure and parents without options. I’m noticing some common threads in conversations at the local, state, and national level:

• Families want options. The early childhood years are vulnerable for both children and families. People who are extremely familiar with child care and those who are not — and individuals across the ideological spectrum — can agree that family agency is important to protect this fragile and foundational time. Whether that means using a formal child care center or home-based setting, a trusted caregiver, or receiving support to stay home with a child, families deserve to be able to choose what works best for them.
• Without federal movement on child care investment, states are using a range of approaches to securing public and private funding for child care. After New Mexico became the first state to offer universal child care, states are looking for their version of the path forward. In North Carolina, leaders haven’t landed on what that looks like, but members of Stein’s task force are looking to New Mexico, as well as Nebraska, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, and Montana to learn more about how their child care funding streams operate. North Carolina leaders are interested in private philanthropy and businesses playing a significant role in that funding model.
• Localities are not waiting. In Onslow County, community leaders this month launched the most recent of several local child care task forces across the state to spread awareness and find opportunities for partnership, fundraising, and advocacy. The City of Wilmington passed a resolution backed by nonprofit NC Child on Oct. 7 calling on the state to address child care accessibility and affordability. NC Child said in a Facebook post they are planning to work with more local governments to pass similar measures.
• It all comes down to support for the early childhood workforce. Multiple advocates have told me they think supports for teachers, like expanding the WAGE$ program or allocating funds to cover child care costs for teachers’ children, should be prioritized.

Below, don’t miss our updates on how the Trump administration’s policy changes are impacting early childhood programs serving English learners and Hispanic Serving Institutions, the federal government shutdown, a Durham screening of a documentary on child care heroes, and much more. Thank you for reading and for supporting our youngest learners.

Until next time,

Liz Bell

Email Liz Bell

Liz Bell is the early childhood reporter for EducationNC.