A 'desperate pinch' for child care
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Back in 2024, Liz and I set out to learn more about the intersection of child care and the military in North Carolina. Over the last two years we’ve attended statewide summits and local task force meetings, interviewed national experts, and got to know a base commander who advocates for child care.
Last year, I wrote an article outlining lessons from the military for solving North Carolina’s child care crisis. Now Liz’s latest article captures the on-the-ground challenges to applying those lessons in Onslow County — home to Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station New River, and several training schools.
With the support of a grant from New America’s Better Life Lab, Liz has been following a task force led by Onslow County’s Smart Start partnership since October 2025. As Liz writes in her article: “A worsening off-base child care crisis, local leaders say, is threatening both the local community’s health and workforce and, as military families’ needs evolve, the country’s military readiness.”
That aligns with what we’ve learned over the last two years:
- Military-operated child care is the gold standard of quality and affordability nationwide.
- Not all military families have access to military-operated child care, so they rely on military programs that subsidize the cost of civilian child care.
- There isn’t enough high-quality civilian child care to meet the needs of both the military and civilian families who rely on it.
Experts from the local, state, and national levels told us that child care for military families is a force readiness issue, and it cannot be solved without systemic changes to child care accessibility, affordability, and quality in the civilian child care landscape.
As always, stay tuned to EdNC for local and state developments on early care and learning.
More from EdNC on early childhood
Onslow County leaders seek child care solutions as military child care, a national model, faces limitations
Rachel Nelson has worked in child care since she was a 19-year-old college student at UNC-Charlotte. She worked for two decades across multiple states, including several years in Onslow County, providing technical assistance to increase program quality. Nelson thought she...Perspective | North Carolina child care is in crisis — and it's a business issue
A full-blown child care crisis in North Carolina has the attention of business leaders. It has to. The crisis is costing our state an estimated $5.65 billion every year. That’s $4.29 billion in lost business activity from absenteeism and turnover,...Brief | Final brief in Science of Reading series focuses on how to sustain lasting change in literacy instruction
North Carolina has invested heavily in improving literacy instruction through the Science of Reading. More than 44,000 educators across the state have completed Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training, helping teachers better understand how children learn...The big picture for little kids
Legislative Updates
There are a few new pieces of legislation that we have our eyes on right now:
- Senate Bill 964 would have Medicaid cover doula services during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
- Senate Bill 1041 would provide state employees with up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave instead of the current four or eight.
- House Bill 1057 would replace lost federal SNAP dollars with state funding.
EdNC will continue following these and other bills related to early childhood as the sessions continues.
News & Research
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Governor Stein Celebrates Child Care Providers, Urges General Assembly to Invest in North Carolina’s Future - From Office of Gov. Josh Stein
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Home-based child care programs are struggling to survive - From The Hechinger Report
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The National Child Care Gap: A Problem That is Costing Everyone - From Child Care Trust
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Mental Health Conditions Are the Dominant Underlying Cause of Maternal Death for American Indians and Alaska Natives - From Child Trends
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New Mexico runs tens of millions of dollars over budget for universal childcare - From Santa Few New Mexican
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Warning Signs: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2025 - From National Women's Law Center
Taking flight! Opportunities to spread your wings
Stronger Together: Creating Connections For Early Childhood - From NCIMHA
Date/Time: June 24, 2026, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Location: Zoom
From the organizer: Things are changing quickly at the federal and state level, creating fear and uncertainty for children, families, and those of us who support them. In response, NCIMHA has created Stronger Together: Creating Connections for Early Childhood as an open, monthly, virtual space co-facilitated by members of NCIMHA community and staff. We seek to provide a welcoming, nurturing space where you can connect with colleagues who are also supporting young children and families.
Join us to engage in thoughtful dialogue about what you are noticing and experiencing or to simply “be with” and feel heard and held. Whether you are seeking new perspectives, heartfelt discussions, or just a place to be yourself, this group is here to foster genuine connection and community as we navigate together the challenges facing young children, families, communities and our early childhood workforce.
Early Literacy Instruction: State of the Field Research Brief - From New America
Date/Time: May 28, 2026, 3:00 p.m. EST
Location: Zoom
From the organizer: The CELS Learning Across the PK-3 Continuum Webinar Series is a national professional learning series focused on evidence-based approaches to strengthen practice and systems that support student learning and success from preschool through Grade 3.
Series 1 features the State of the Field Research Briefs, which synthesize current research, highlight promising practices from states, districts, and schools, and offer actionable recommendations for state and local leaders, educators, and families.
Join us for session 2 on Early Literacy Instruction that centers a developmentally informed, child-centered approach as the organizing framework for early literacy instruction across PK-3. It integrates explicit instruction in foundational skills, language-rich interaction, and meaningful learning experiences such as play, inquiry, and writing— offering a more connected understanding of how early literacy develops and how instruction can better reflect how children learn. Renowned researcher and former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, Susan Neuman, and other panelists will share key insights on the research base for early literacy instruction as well as community-led innovations that are supporting literacy success in the early grades.
