A local innovation, a statewide poll

What can rural communities learn from Yadkin County?

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I hope everyone’s January ended with hope for the year ahead. Here at EdNC, we’ve got lots of exciting plans for finding new ways to answer your questions, provide you with useful information, and connect what’s happening in Raleigh to what’s happening in communities and classrooms across North Carolina.

Speaking of local happenings, I made a trip to Yadkinville since last time, joining state legislators and local leaders from early childhood, industry, K-12 education, and philanthropy to learn about a new child care model those leaders want to make a reality.

The model aims to attract new individuals into the child care field and open more options for families. It would host six small programs in one building, helping with the barriers to starting a business by providing a ready-to-use facility, sharing spaces and costs among providers, and creating a support network between providers. And it would open more spaces for infants and toddlers, which are particularly hard to come by in the area — and in rural places across the state.

The Child Care Commission approved a petition for a rule change last Monday, starting a months-long rule-making process that would create a new licensure avenue for this approach. I’ll be following that process.

When we were in Yadkin County, legislators also said they would be open to action to help the innovation move forward. Rep. David Willis, R-Union, who himself owns a preschool, said he sees the solution and funding to child care shortages involving many players, including local and state government, parents, and employers.

“We know there’s going to have to be a multi-layered approach to this,” Willis said. “Families are going to have to be involved, local communities are going to have to be involved, businesses are going to have to get re-engaged and involved. And obviously, we at the state level have to be involved.”

Below, don’t miss early childhood updates from the General Assembly, news on the state’s Preschool Development Grant and the latest estimate ($3.5 billion) on how much the state’s losing because of inadequate child care, and a North Carolina poll that found support for public child care assistance.