Getting down to business
Early Bird readers, hello again. Newcomers, welcome! If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up here to receive it every two weeks, and join our conversation on issues facing North Carolina’s young children and those who support them. If you’re already a subscriber, please help us reach more people by sharing this with your friends and co-workers interested in early childhood education.
With the start of the legislative session, a coalition of business leaders have been uniting around an issue that’s vital to their success — public investment in child care.
With funding from the Leon Levine Foundation, a new effort launched in April 2025 called ExCEL NC, or Executives Championing Early Learning North Carolina. The initiative’s website describes its mission:
We are a coalition of business owners, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders advocating for solutions to stabilize the state’s child care options, strengthen our workforce, and create a more prosperous economy.
True to their mission, members advocated for a child care subsidy floor at the most recent gathering of the North Carolina Task Force on Child Care and Early Education. Here’s some of what business leaders had to say:
- “Without enough affordable, high-quality child care, employers across the state are missing out on what they need; that’s talent and people.” – Gary Salamido, president and CEO of the NC Chamber of Commerce
- “We have single parents who earn good salaries, who still see child care consume a third of their gross wages, which is just untenable.” – Chris Paterson, CEO of Carolina Complete Health
- “A reimbursement rate floor will stabilize what most providers will need, particularly the providers at most risk, the ones that are serving the families with the least alternatives.” – Carol Steen, vice president of human resources, information technology, and security at Biltmore Farms
- “Private industry frankly just cannot do this alone. We need both public and private sector investment to address this challenge.” – Gene McLaurin, president and CEO of Quality Oil Company
You can read more about why advocates are focusing their efforts on a child care subsidy reimbursement floor here, about the ExCEL NC initiative here, and the task force meeting here.
On a related note, Liz and I want to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there — and a special shout out to all the people helping moms manage motherhood!
More from EdNC on early childhood
ExCEL NC: A coalition of business leaders gets vocal about child care
An initiative launched in April 2025 is convening business leaders to talk about child care at the local and state level. ExCEL NC, or Executives Championing Early Learning North Carolina, is forming a coalition of business owners and leaders to...Business leaders call on legislature for child care subsidy investment this session
Business leaders and owners advocated on Thursday for legislative funding this session for the child care subsidy program, which helps low-income working and student parents afford care. “Without enough affordable, high-quality child care, employers across the state are missing out...How Alabama is expanding apprenticeships across the state and into new fields
Editor’s note: This article is part of a series on apprenticeships for National Apprenticeship Week. See all of EdNC’s coverage of apprenticeships here. Note that all references to apprenticeship in this series refer to Registered Apprenticeships formally recognized by the...Federal grant opens for colleges to establish on-campus child care programs
Community colleges can now apply for a federal grant to support or establish campus-based child care services for students with children. In a 2024 survey, 71% of caregiving students at community colleges nationwide reported that their caregiving responsibilities could lead...The big picture for little kids
Legislative Updates
With the short legislative session underway, here are some key bills we’re tracking so far:
- Senate Bill 1042, which would allocate $75 million per year to increase subsidy rates, and extend the state’s Tri-Share pilot and a family child care home expansion pilot.
- House Bill 1086, which would create a 2-year “lead teacher academy” pilot with $1.5 million, allocate $15 million to expand mental and behavioral health services to children, families, and staff in child care, create a new credential for 16 and 17-year-olds to work in child care, and loosen child care facilities’ staffing requirements.
- Senate Bill 1051, which limits the restrictions landlords, homeowner’s associations, and local governments’ zoning regulations can apply to family child care home providers.
- Senate Bill 1052, which creates a new definition for “license-exempt family, friend, and neighbor child care providers.”
- Senate Bill 1053, which reduces the penalty of certain unlicensed child care operations.
Stay tuned for EdNC coverage as these bills work their way through committees.
News & Research
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Attempts to lower the rate of Black maternal deaths in NC face new challenges - From NC Newsline
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Trump’s Top Child Care Official Wants a ‘Bonfire of Regulations’ - From The New York Times
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Are State Trust Funds an Answer to Rising Child Care Costs? - From Pew
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General Assembly: The Great Rewiring of Childhood — and How We Reverse It - From Aspen Ideas
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U.S. Supreme Court to take Colorado case about public funding for Catholic preschools that bar LGBTQ families - From Chalkbeat Colorado
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Opinion | Now Is Not the Time for the Child Care Modernization Act - From Elliot Haspel
Taking flight! Opportunities to spread your wings
Webinar | AI in the nursery - From Brookings
Date: Monday, May 18, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT
Description: Birth to age 3 is the most consequential period for human development. As AI-enabled technologies increasingly reach into the lives of babies, toddlers, and their caregivers, protecting the secure attachment, back-and-forth communication, and human connection that form for the foundations for lifelong well-being remains essential.
On May 18, the Center for Universal Education at Brookings and Zero To Three will host a panel discussion to delve into what AI means for babies and toddlers. As the second event in the Generation AI Starts Early webinar series, the discussion will bring together diverse perspectives from health, technology, and policy. The panel will explore the needs of babies and toddlers, the opportunities and potential risks as AI enters family life, and how parents, caregivers, educators, and policymakers can navigate an increasingly complex technological landscape.
The Generation AI Starts Early series brings together leading experts in early childhood development and related fields to examine how AI is entering children’s everyday lives and what this could mean for their development and future trajectories. The series also explores the guardrails, policies, and design principles needed to ensure that, as babies and children grow up in an AI world, the human relationships and experiences that underpin healthy development remain central.
Webinar | Strengthening Connections to Early Intervention Services Through Policy and Practice - From New America
Date: May 15, 2026,
Time: 12:00pm–1:00pm EDT
Description: Early intervention is a key support for young children’s development, but it can be hard for families to access services due to the program’s complexity. Eligibility varies widely across states, and even states trying to serve a broader population of children can struggle to connect children to these important services. Sometimes services are delayed, and sometimes referrals and service connections are never made. Good policy–like automatic eligibility–can help eligible infants and toddlers be identified, but effective implementation is what ensures they actually receive services.
