‘We can’t rely on temporary solutions’

How NC, and other states, are filling early childhood gaps

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A special thank you to the early childhood faculty taking time to meet with EdNC as we visit all 58 community colleges and ask questions about early care and education in their communities. I’m taking selfies with the rock stars I’m meeting, like the ones above with Sheila Regan at Richmond Community College and Katie Mintz at Brunswick Community College.

Regan talked about the difference that supportive leadership makes and strategies to strengthen the local landscape, and Mintz shared how her program has seen a large enrollment uptick over the last year. She’s still trying to understand why.

From Martin County…

Be on the lookout for stories about the trends we’re discovering and the people we’re meeting, like this one from EdNC reporter Cheyenne McNeill on Tonya Staton, owner of N.C. Open Arms Childcare in Robersonville.

Staton was able to find support from Martin Community College’s Small Business Center to buy and open the center where she previously taught. The program is filling a dire need in the community for early care and education, McNeill reports.

At the state level…

The Department of Health and Human Services announced it would continue compensation supports for early childhood programs through December 2023. This extends relief funding that programs have accessed since last November through federal stabilization grants.

The funds come from another discretionary pot of federal relief that DHHS decided would be helpful for programs increasing wages with temporary money. Susan Gale Perry, DHHS chief deputy secretary for opportunity and well-being, said in a statement that this is a step in acknowledging the important work of early childhood educators.

“At the same time, we can’t rely on temporary solutions; we need long-term investment to strengthen the early care and learning workforce and ensure access to high quality care,” she said. “This workforce is fundamental to our economy and foundational to the well-being of children and families.”

Elsewhere…

EdNC spoke with the early learning team at the Hunt Institute, who recently hosted the largest convening in the history of the organization. State policymakers and officials from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, gathered to discuss early childhood policy.

I outlined their main takeaways — like the distinctively bipartisan nature of early childhood support — as well as trends in state policy they’re paying attention to.

Below, don’t miss research on Hispanic families’ access to child care subsidy in North Carolina, and early childhood news from across the country. Thanks for reading.