Together we can achieve a bold vision…
Each North Carolina child has a strong foundation for life-long health, education, and well-being, supported by a comprehensive and equitable care and education system, from prenatal through third grade.
How We Do Our Work
We work to promote understanding, spearhead collaboration, and advance policies to ensure each North Carolina child is on track for lifelong success by the end of third grade. Much of this work happens through our initiatives:
- NC Pathways to Grade-Level Reading
- Family Forward NC
- NC Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
- Care and Learning (CandL)
- EarlyWell
- Local Funding for Early Learning
Supporting Children’s Optimal Development
Each child can have the opportunity to be on track by third grade with aligned policies and practices rooted in child development, including health and development on track beginning at birth, supported and supportive families and communities, and high-quality birth through third grade learning environments with regular attendance. Learn about the issues that support children’s optimal development beginning at birth.
Partner With Us
Latest News
North Carolina Schools Are Failing Students in Poverty: New Findings Show Gaps in Literacy
The North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation (NCECF) has released a new data tool that uncovers significant gaps in third-grade literacy rates across public schools in the state. The Equity-Focused Early Literacy Dashboards reveal that students from low-income families are falling…
Advancing Young Children’s Right to Early Education Across North Carolina
Although many are advocating at the federal level for fully-funded universal preschool for three- and four-year-olds, we don’t yet have federal funding to make that possible. With federal funding prospects uncertain, state-level opportunities for funding have emerged in the pursuit…
Join the Celebration of Smart Start Month!
The North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation is thrilled to participate in the incredible work of the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) and the Smart Start Network, as they kick off Smart Start Month this September. This month-long celebration is…
Advocating for a Stable Child Care and Early Learning System in North Carolina
How You Can Advocate for Child Care Changes in North Carolina
You can feel the strain on our state’s child care system. Even before the pandemic, working parents struggled with the high cost of child care. The pandemic and subsequent…