Issues

When we support our youngest children in having the opportunity to fulfill their potential, we create the best outcomes in health, education and economic well-being for everyone in North Carolina.

The science is clear: early experiences matter. During the first years of life, children’s experiences are built into their bodies — shaping brain development and building the foundation for all future learning, behavior and health. Parents play the lead role in their child’s healthy development, but all parents are stretched in the early months and years of their child’s life. Families of color or with low income face additional barriers and are often overburdened and under-resourced, and these inequities can impact their children even before birth. Our communities and our state all have a role to play in providing every parent with the extra support that is needed during this especially critical time in order to help prepare the children who will be our future workers, innovators, and leaders. When families have what they need to thrive, our economy works. When policies embody equity, all children have opportunities to reach their full potential, and our society is stronger.

Every child, regardless of their race, family income, or zip code, deserves an equitable opportunity to thrive and succeed in life. Policies, programs, and funding should ensure healthy beginnings prenatally and at birth, support families with young children, and make high-quality child care and learning environments more accessible and affordable to all parents who want them. When we support young children in their earliest years, we prepare them to grow, learn and succeed—and our communities, workforce and economy become stronger and more productive.

Early Childhood Education

Early learning experiences have a lifelong impact. Children who attend high-quality early education programs are better prepared for school and life — academically, socially and emotionally. Positive early learning experiences can help to narrow the “opportunity gap” by providing young children of color with a strong foundation for future success. But for far too long, our child care system has been built upon unaffordable costs for families, inequitable access to high-quality early learning programs, an untenable business model for child care providers, and unlivable wages and benefits for the early childhood workforce caring for children. This is unsustainable for children, parents, early educators, and our economy, particularly in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. Click the buttons below to learn more about how we are addressing and supporting these key issues and programs to support young children, their families, and their educators.

COVID-19 Child Care Crisis

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Early Education Workforce

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Child Care Subsidy Assistance

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Child Care Availability

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Leandro v. State of NC

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NC Pre-K

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Supported Families and Supportive Communities

Young children develop in the context of their families and the connections they have with their communities. A stable, secure relationship with a caring adult is a key factor in young children’s development. Family stability can be supported by adequate income, time to nurture family bonds and provide caregiving to ill family members, safe neighborhoods to grow and play, stable housing, and adequate food and nutrition. But many infants and toddlers live in families that don’t always have the resources or opportunities to meet these needs, particularly families of color or with low income. When families face these challenges and risk factors, their babies can be exposed to stress and trauma that negatively impacts their healthy development. Click the buttons below to learn more about how we are addressing and supporting these key issues and programs that can help to strengthen families and support parents and communities during the critical early years of a child’s life.

Paid Family and Medical Leave

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Home Visiting and Parenting Education

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Healthy Beginnings

For babies, good physical and mental health provides the foundation to develop physically, cognitively, emotionally and socially. When children have good health in utero, good birth outcomes, and access to needed health services, they are more likely to have good physical health and on-track development during childhood and throughout life. Early adversities and disparities, often beginning prenatally, can affect brains and bodies for a lifetime. Click the buttons below to learn more about how we are addressing and supporting these key issues and programs that can help to reduce inequities and build a foundation for healthy development for all young children.

Closing the Coverage Gap

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Accommodations for Pregnant Employees

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Extending Postpartum Maternal Medicaid Coverage

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