Local Financing for Early Learning
Advance local investments in early childhood with tools and strategies designed for North Carolina communities.
Helping communities invest in early learning
Local Financing for Early Learning helps North Carolina communities explore how local funding can expand access to high-quality early childhood programs. Since 2016, the NC Early Childhood Foundation has supported local leaders with a free online toolkit, trainings, and case studies that explain local government funding structures, budget processes, and strategies for generating local revenue. By equipping communities with practical tools and real-world examples, Local Financing for Early Learning empowers community leaders to pursue sustainable investments in early learning.
News and Resources
Case Study: Wake County, NC
See how Wake County made the case for early childhood investments as a benefit to everyone in the community.
What can you do?
Explore the toolkit’s case studies and resources to evaluate your community’s readiness to pursue a local investment initiative.
Initiative Timeline
Local Training Impact
Since 2021, through the Local Financing Initiative, local governments in Buncombe, Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Transylvania, and Watauga counties have appropriated funding for early childhood education.
Case Studies Expanded
From 2019 through 2021, we publish seven case studies highlighting existing and emerging local financing initiatives in North Carolina and across the country.
Toolkit Expansion & Statewide Training
In 2017 and 2018, we add six new case studies to the toolkit and deliver a local financing workshop at the Institute for Emerging Issues’ KidoNomiCs Forum. We publish Bright Spots for Early Learning, documenting NC communities where local funding supports early learning. We partner with the National Forum for Youth Investment, the NC Budget and Tax Center, and the NC Association of County Commissioners to host a second training for Guilford, Transylvania, and Watauga leaders.
Local Financing for Early Learning Launches
The Local Financing for Early Learning initiative, toolkit, and accompanying website launches in collaboration with the NC Budget & Tax Center. We partner with the Forum for Youth Investment, the NC Budget & Tax Center, and the NC Association of County Commissioners to host a local financing training for leaders from Durham, Forsyth, and Buncombe counties.
Local Financing for Early Learning Partners
- NC Budget & Tax Center
- Local Smart Start organizations across the state