Another state's investment in early childhood education
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It has been a busy season for the little birdies on EdNC.org’s early childhood team! Since we were last in your inbox, Liz and I traveled to Massachusetts and Vermont as part of our ongoing Learning Adventures to learn from states leading the way in early childhood policy and investment. And we’re already packing our bags for Oregon!
The timing of our Learning Adventures has coincided with the expiration of the pandemic-era federal funding meant to stabilize child care.
While North Carolina has taken steps to extend some of that funding through June 2024, the state legislature did not step in with a substantial stabilization investment despite calls to do so from advocates, providers, legislators, and the business community.
As a result, a recent report from the Century Foundation estimated that 1,778 licensed child care programs will close in North Carolina. That would be more than one third of all licensed child care sites.
Other state’s governments have stepped in to prevent child care from going over this funding cliff. Vermont is one of them.
This year, Vermont passed Act 76, which will provide an annual $125 million in child care funding across the state through a new payroll tax starting next year. Liz and I saw the impact of that investment close up, at a ribbon-cutting for a new center last month.
“We found ourselves with a renewed confidence, not only to open this new school, but also to provide sweeping compensation increases to all of our teachers,” center co-owner Leigh Lamphere said. “I’ve worked in child care for 30 years, and I’ve never felt the optimism, excitement, and hope for the future that I feel right now.”
This is in stark contrast to the current vibe in North Carolina. With the June 2024 funding cliff looming, centers in our state have already started to close. On October 20, Southwestern Child Development Commission announced the October 31 closure of seven child care centers in the southwest corner of the state.
Without significant investment from lawmakers, experts agree, these closures are only the beginning.
You can read more about how lawmakers in Vermont are making those investments in our latest article. Also, check out our plan for tracking additional child care closures in the absence of that investment in North Carolina.
And as a special treat, EdNC.org’s leader, Mebane Rash, joined Liz and me for one of our site visits in Massachusetts, and she wrote all about her experience and our Learning Adventures project.
Join our Early Bird Facebook Group and/or follow me on Instagram to keep tabs on our visit to Oregon this week!
More from EdNC on early childhood
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News & Research
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Claudia Goldin Won a Nobel Prize Addressing Women’s Work Obstacles Head-on. Will Child Care be the Next Barrier to Fall? - From Early Learning Nation
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We asked every member of Congress about child care policy - From The 19th
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What the Bluegrass State Can Teach Us About Increasing Access to Child Care - From Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
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How a Small Town in a Red State Rallied Around Universal Preschool - From EdSurge
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Underpaid child-care workers seize on pandemic lesson: America needs them - From Washington Post
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The unlikely connection between universal pre-K and nicotine taxes in Colorado - From NPR
Taking flight! Opportunities to spread your wings
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SRCD U.S. Policy Fellowship Program - From Society for Research and Child Development
The SRCD Policy Fellowship immerses postdoctoral child development experts over one to two years in a U.S. federal agency, state agency, or congressional placement where they work full time on child and family policy. Applications for 2024-2025 close at 11:59 p.m. ET on January 7, 2024.
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2024 Grant Investments - From Dogwood Health Trust
Dogwood announced its grant priorities for next year, which include making “exploratory/learning investments into family-centered early childhood education in homes and community spaces.”
The majority of grant investments will be made through the Strategic Priority Grant Opportunity in the first half of the year. Applications will open on November 13, 2023.
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Environment Webinar - From Child Care Resources, Inc.
Register for this free, statewide webinar on creating supportive environments for young learners. Topics include: designing responsive environments that promote social-emotional competence, use of age-appropriate expectations to guide children’s behavior, benefits of child-directed activities, and how to teach volume control.
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Employment opportunity: Program Officer, Early Childhood - From Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation
The Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation is looking for a new Program Officer for their early childhood efforts. Per the job description — Program Officers are integral to carrying out the Foundation’s approach to: Advance system changes to address barriers to good health at the root-cause level; Amplify community voice; in this case, elevating the experience and wisdom of, and accountability to, children, families, and providers to improve access to quality early care and education; Advance health equity, working to ensure everyone – regardless of race or ethnicity, geography, age, financial situation, or education level – has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.
