
North Carolina has lost almost 5% of its licensed child care programs since the pandemic began
More licensed child care programs in North Carolina are closing their doors as the state approaches the expiration of pandemic-era stabilization funding. …

Cooper calls on legislature to fund child care, public schools at Smart Start event
When Roy Cooper was elected governor in 2016, Medicaid expansion was politically unpopular among conservative legislative leadership, he told the audience at the national Smart Start conference Tuesday.…

Perspective | A day without child care: A glimpse into North Carolina’s future
On May 16, we will be closing our child care centers for a day — signaling a crisis that could soon sweep across North Carolina, dismantling the very backbone of our economy: child care.…
In Chapter 5 of EdNC’s book, Katie Dukes write about the role of public schools in early childhood education. “In North Carolina,” she writes, “public schools provide essential services to children and families well before they enter a kindergarten classroom.”
Did you know…
- At least 622 public schools are home to at least 1,102 NC Pre-K classrooms.
- Approximately 2,032 preschool classrooms are operated by public schools, regardless of funding source.
- Approximately 73 of 115 school districts offer services for children under age 5, independent of NC Pre-K.
- School districts provide itinerant exceptional children services to over 5,400 preschool children statewide.
To learn more about the role of public schools in educating our state’s youngest learners, EdNC reached out to every NC Pre-K contractor, interviewing more than half of them during the summer of 2023 by phone or email. Read our book to learn more about what we found.
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Facts & Figures: Education in North Carolina
The guide "provides a detailed look at data from across the North Carolina education continuum to promote data-informed decision-making by educators, advocates, and policymakers throughout the state."... Read the rest