Across North Carolina, families depend on affordable, high-quality child care and early learning to support their children’s development—and to stay in the workforce. But right now, our child care system is stretched to the breaking point.
From rural towns to urban neighborhoods, families face long waiting lists, rising costs, and a shrinking pool of providers. Providers themselves are navigating low pay, high burnout, and policies that haven’t kept pace with reality.
The System Is Struggling—And So Are the Families Who Rely On It
Let’s look at the facts:
- In North Carolina, child care is more expensive than in-state college tuition.
- Our state ranks last in affordability for child care.
- Rural families face the largest gaps in supply and demand.
- Infant care is the hardest to find—and the most expensive.
- The child care workforce is shrinking because wages and benefits are too low.
This is not just a parent problem. It’s a workforce problem. An education problem. An economic problem. The North Carolina Department of Commerce found that improving access to child care could boost our GDP by up to $7.5 billion and add 68,000 jobs.
Families Are Clear: This Must Be a Priority
A recent national survey found that parents across party lines overwhelmingly agree – state and federal leaders should make child care a top priority. In North Carolina:
- 77% of voters say access to child care is a serious problem.
- 86% support using public funds to improve affordability and quality.
- 87% say solving the child care crisis should be a top state priority.
When families can’t find or afford care, parents – especially mothers – are forced out of the workforce. That’s a loss no one can afford.
What Are Other States Doing Right?
Across the country, states are taking action:
- Texas: Offers property tax relief to child care providers.
- Vermont: Passed near-universal child care through Act 76.
- Massachusetts: Created an apprenticeship program for early educators.
- Oregon: Built a cross-agency subsidy program to support working parents in apprenticeship programs.
These aren’t pie-in-the-sky ideas. They’re real policies driving real change. North Carolina has the opportunity to lead with its own bold solutions.
What’s Standing in the Way?
We continue to rely on a market-based child care system that’s no longer working for parents, providers, or the economy. Here’s where it breaks down:
- Families can’t afford the cost of care, and even middle-income households are struggling.
- Providers often struggle to make ends meet, especially those serving infants or operating in rural areas.
- The supply of care is shrinking at the same time as demand is growing.
Low-income families, families of children with disabilities, and families working nontraditional hours are hit especially hard. But this crisis touches everyone.
Policy Solutions That Can Make a Difference
In our latest brief, we outline the state-level tools North Carolina can adopt to turn things around:
- Set a statewide child care subsidy rate floor so providers earn a livable income.
- Support startup grants, training, and coaching using federal child care funds.
- Link existing workforce compensation and support programs for early educators.
- Offer subsidized or free care for child care teachers, many of whom can’t afford care for their own children.
- Explore a statewide child care endowment to support long-term stability.
We also highlight how updates to the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) could help middle-income families who are often left out of subsidy programs but still face massive costs.
Read the full brief here: Policy Innovations and Recommendations for a Stable Child Care and Early Learning System
Take Action Today
You have a role to play if you’re a parent, provider, or advocate. Here’s how you can help shape the future of child care in North Carolina’s rural communities:
- Educate Yourself and Others: Stay informed about current child care challenges and solutions. Join the NCECF email list to receive advocacy resources and future calls to action. Use what you learn to inform others in your community.
- Engage with Policymakers: Your voice matters whether you’re a provider trying to stay open or a parent struggling to find care. Use these talking points when speaking with legislators:
- Child care is essential infrastructure. Without it, families and businesses suffer.
- We need fair pay for providers, starting with a statewide minimum wage for providers.
- Smart investments now will grow our economy, strengthen families, and support children’s development.
- Share Your Story: Your experience is powerful. Share how child care access – or lack of it – has affected your job, family, or students. Post on social media, tag your legislators, or submit your story to local media or advocacy campaigns.
Together, we can turn crisis into opportunity—and make North Carolina a leader in early learning.