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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 economic recovery brought these issues into sharper focus, but the underlying problems have persisted.
In June 2024, North Carolina passed $135 million in funding for child care—less than half of the $300 million needed to begin stabilizing the system according to early childhood education professionals. This shortfall underscores the urgency of the issue and presents a critical opportunity for parents to advocate for change. The North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation (NCECF) is committed to providing information, advocacy action plans, and policy resources to empower communities to strengthen and stabilize the state’s early care and learning system.
The Current Problem: An Unstable Child Care System
Federal pandemic relief funds provided a temporary lifeline by distributing more than $834 million to child care facilities across North Carolina, enabling many providers to hire more staff and increase wages. However, with the expiration of these funds, providers now face significant challenges in staying open. In 2023 alone, 300 child care centers in North Carolina closed, devastating children, families, and communities who depend on these services.
The closure of child care centers has far-reaching impacts. It disrupts children’s development, forces parents—particularly mothers—out of the workforce, and hampers the state’s economic health. A national survey revealed that inadequate child care leads 52% of mothers to consider leaving their jobs. The percentage of stay-at-home mothers rose from 15% in 2022 to 25% in 2023, highlighting the critical link between child care availability and labor force participation.
When we say North Carolina’s child care system is unstable, we mean:
- Few Options for Babies: Infant and toddler care is severely lacking, with only enough care for 1 in 5 children.
- Long Waitlists for Preschool: There aren’t enough preschool seats to meet demand. For example, Buncombe County has lost 11% of its child care slots since the pandemic, with 69% of families with children under 6 having all parents working.
- Low Wages for Providers and Educators: child care providers face a labor shortage due to low wages and benefits. North Carolina had about 2,000 fewer child care professionals in 2021 compared to 2019.
- Too Few Professional, Licensed Care Centers: Many families rely on informal child care, with only 24% of children under 6 enrolled in licensed centers or homes.
- Rural Areas Are Stretched: Rural communities face unique challenges, often requiring long travel distances to the nearest child care center. Thirty rural counties have five or fewer 4- and 5-star programs serving infants and toddlers.
Stabilizing this system is crucial, as problems with child care are costing North Carolina $5.65 billion in lost economic activity annually, according to a report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the NC Chamber Foundation, and NC Child.
The Solution: Systems Thinking and Advocacy
Addressing these systemic challenges requires a systems-thinking approach. Parents, policymakers, and advocates must consider the interconnected parts of the child care system, including the needs of children, parents, employers, child care providers, and their staff. It’s also essential to understand the types of care best suited for different age groups and ensure that high-quality pre-kindergarten programs are accessible to all who need them.
Everyone can play a pivotal role in advocating for these changes by:
- Educating Themselves and Others: Stay informed about the issues and solutions. Join NCECF’s Email List to receive future advocacy packages and calls to action.
- Engaging with Policymakers: Reach out to state legislators to share these resources:
- Share this article from NCECF which digs deeper into the facts and stats of the child care crisis.
- Encourage them to reference the Build Back Better Act for state-level policy guidance.
- Emphasize the need for immediate and substantial funding to stabilize the system. Coalition.
- Joining Advocacy Groups: Collaborate with organizations like NCECF to amplify your voice and participate in coordinated advocacy efforts.
- Sharing Personal Stories: Personal anecdotes about the impact of child care issues on your family can be powerful in illustrating the need for change to policymakers and the public. Posting on social media and tagging your legislators can get attention.
By taking these steps, parents can help drive the systemic changes needed to ensure that North Carolina’s early care and learning system is robust, equitable, and sustainable for all families.