EdNC's series on community colleges and early child care

Colleges across the state are finding ways to lessen the burden of child care challenges for their students and communities, from providing on-campus child care and subsidies to strengthening and expanding the child care workforce.

And state leaders are calling for more colleges to follow suit.

Highlights from this article include: 

• Child care access impacts community college students’ success in school and, research shows, produces intergenerational benefits — reducing poverty while exposing children to high-quality early childhood experiences.
• Community colleges are expanding child care access and affordability in three primary ways: providing on-campus child care options; utilizing state grants to help students afford care; and strengthening the child care workforce, including through fast-track options like child care academies.
• There are several ways community colleges can shift their campus culture to support student parents and advocate for local solutions, including collaborating with Smart Start partnerships and Child Care Resource & Referral agencies, collecting better data on student parents, and integrating child care into student services and strategic plans.

The N.C. Community College Child Care Grant gives each of the 58 community colleges grant funding to distribute to student parents to help them cover child care costs. 

Last year, EdNC analyzed how the state’s community colleges have historically spent this annual allocation. We found that, in the previous three years, only three community colleges had consistently spent 100% of their allocated funds, and about half of the system’s colleges spent less than 90% of their funds. At the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year, there was nearly $700,000 in unused grant funding.

In the 2024-25 fiscal year, the amount of unspent funds decreased. According to the grant’s 2024-25 annual report, about $467,000 was unused at the end of the fiscal year. Across all 58 community colleges, compared to the previous fiscal year, the grant awarded just over $211,000 more to student parents navigating their academic and family responsibilities.

One way Sandhills Community College sets the tone for a family-inclusive environment is through its on-site partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

SCC proudly partnered with the organization to host a Boys & Girls Club location on campus, giving students, staff, and the surrounding community access to an affordable and educational after-school program for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

To ensure convenience and safety, transportation is provided from local schools, including Pinehurst, McDeeds Creek, Farm Life, and Carthage Elementary. Once on campus, children participate in activities, play with their peers, attend events, and use SCC facilities. They also receive a complimentary dinner and homework support, all for just $50 per child per year.

This playbook includes data on the demographics of the early childhood workforce in McDowell County, a discussion of roadblocks to hiring and sustaining an equitable early childhood workforce, and details on how McDowell Technical Community College has worked to address those roadblocks.

The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) was selected to receive up to $2.1 million from a nonprofit called Jobs For the Future (JFF) as part of an initiative to “expand high-quality postsecondary education and workforce pathways for individuals with histories of incarceration.”

A press release said that North Carolina, Kansas, Maine, and Oregon will each receive the funding, which includes $1.8 million in technical assistance from JFF and the Coleridge Initiative, over the next four years.

“States will gain access to a secure data-sharing platform to improve coordination between partner agencies and participate in a national learning network designed to accelerate reforms across corrections, postsecondary education, workforce development, and fair chance employment,” the release said.

Early college | EdNC’s Caroline Parker writes about the state’s only regional early college — the Northeast Regional School of Biotechnology and Agriscience (NERSBA). NERSBA is one of North Carolina’s 138 cooperative innovative high schools, often called early colleges, serving students in grades nine to 13 who live in Martin, Washington, Tyrrell, or Pitt counties. The early college focuses on biotechnology and agriscience.  

Program updates | Fayetteville Technical Community College recently revamped its Airframe and Powerplant License Prep course to better reflect changes in aviation. The revamp also considered service members from nearby Fort Bragg transitioning to civilian work and aviation personnel with hands-on experience who also need credentials for advancement.

Presidential inauguration for Mayland | On Jan. 16, Mayland Community College held its presidential inauguration and installation of Dr. Aron Gabriel as the college’s next president. 

New paramedic program accreditation | According to a recent college press release, Durham Technical Community College is the “first Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) education program in the nation to receive its voluntary accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, the only nationally recognized accreditation organization for AEMT and paramedic education.” The college’s paramedic program also received accreditation, marking dual accreditation for its EMS pathway.

Enrollment | Johnston Community College welcomed 5,892 degree-seeking students on their first day of spring semester. The college’s 2026 spring enrollment is a 12% increase from the previous spring semester. According to a college press release, this is the seventh straight semester of double-digit percentage increases in enrollment.

Project SHIFT | Southwestern Community College’s (SCC) Health Initiative For Teens (SHIFT) provides high school students with career exploration and advising within the health care field. According to a college press release, “more than 350 students participated in Project SHIFT within its first two years, and nearly all of SCC’s 17 Health Sciences programs enjoyed a surge in applications and enrollment.” SHIFT is not only providing support for high school students, but is also helping tackle the region’s health care workforce shortages. Dogwood Health Trust provided funding to launch Project SHIFT in 2023. 

Marketing to young adults | myFutureNC’s newest ncIMPACT Initiative bulletin looks at how UNC’s School of Government partnered with the North Carolina Community College System and a marketing firm to create a free, self-paced employability course titled, “7 Steps to Get Hired: The Keys to Building Your Future.”

Events | Join myFutureNC for one of eight virtual 2026 State of Educational Attainment in North Carolina Regional broadcasts. Register today to add the event directly to your calendar and be ready to join virtually on Feb. 12, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. At each virtual event, participants will dig into new statewide and county-level insights and address next steps for strengthening local talent development in the year ahead.

Fellowship opportunity | Applications for the John M. Belk Impact Fellowship are now open. The 10-month paid fellowship is a “training ground for future generations of social impact leaders” who will have the chance to deepen their experience across a wide array of focus area and gain marketable skills toward future employment. Full-time community college, undergraduate, or graduate students at an accredited North Carolina college or university interested in fields of education, public policy, political science, data analytics, psychology, or related fields can apply. The application portal closes March 20, 2026. You can find out more details about the fellowship and how to apply here.