Election season is upon us
Early Bird readers, hello again. Newcomers, welcome! If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up here to receive it every two weeks, and join our conversation on issues facing North Carolina’s young children and those who support them. If you’re already a subscriber, please help us reach more people by sharing this with your friends and co-workers interested in early childhood education.
Liz and I don’t typically function on quite the same schedule as our K-12 and community college colleagues here at EdNC because, as y’all know, early learning programs are bustling with students all year round.
But the start of this academic year has been a super busy one for us. Liz spent the first day of school in Vance County, while I spent it in my childhood home of Pasquotank County. While I was there I had a wonderful visit with the good folks from the Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families (hi, Faith and Ashleigh!) — and of course I had to stop by Nu Quality Ice Cream before heading back to Raleigh.
Then Liz and I rejoined forces to dart across the country to the Hunt Institute’s Early Childhood Leadership Summit — in Las Vegas!
Thanks to the leadership of our Hunt pal Allison Goff Clark, we were able to meet with leaders from five states that are politically similar to North Carolina who have been making meaningful progress on early childhood policy and investment. Stay tuned in coming months as we learn more from them and share that learning with y’all, and in the meantime, check out the Hunt Institute’s new State Snapshots on Growth and impact in Early Learning to see where North Carolina stands nationally. (Here’s a shortcut to our state’s snapshot.)
As soon as we got back from Nevada, Liz loaned her talents to our K-12 team by covering two back-to-back debates — one virtual and one in-person — between the candidates for state superintendent. You can read her coverage of the virtual debate here and see a recording of the in-person debate hosted by LatinxEd here. (I also recommend this EdExplainer about the role of superintendent of public instruction from our colleague Laura Browne.)
Now we’re back in the world of early learning, where we learned this week that licensed child care closures accelerated before state funding reached providers. Check out Liz’s excellent reporting on that development here.
Just a few more early childhood items of note:
- Governor Cooper declared September to be Smart Start Month here in North Carolina.
- September is also Baby Safety Month on the national level; here’s a checklist of simple safety tips.
- Vice presidential candidate Senator JD Vance has expressed support for expanding the child tax credit to $5,000 per child.
- Presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris has proposed expanding the child tax credit to $6,000 per child and capping the cost of child care at 7% of household income.
Liz and I are excited to get back out into early learning settings across North Carolina this fall (I had the pleasure of visiting the Frankie Lemmon School in Raleigh last week), while we also learn more about big wins for little kids in other states. See you out there!
More from EdNC on early childhood
Child care closures accelerated before state funding reached providers
Since the start of July — right after the legislature approved state money to replace federal child care funding as...Building momentum, trust, and achievement in Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools
“I had an idea at about 1 o’clock last night,” Keith Parker said. This is how Parker, superintendent of Elizabeth...Perspective | This September is Smart Start Month. Here's why the initiative is a national pioneer
Imagine a North Carolina in which every child has the resources and support to thrive and enter kindergarten ready to...The big picture for little kids
Legislative Updates
The General Assembly briefly reconvened to pass what’s being called a “mini budget” — which Gov. Cooper vetoed. As EdNC’s Hannah McClellan Vinueza reported, the mini budget included funding for expanding access to school vouchers and boosting enrollment across K-12 and community colleges.
It did not include anything new for early care and learning.
Earlier this year the legislature provided $67.5 million to continue Child Care Stabilization Grants through the end of 2024, which represents a significant reduction in previous funding levels.
As those funds started rolling out last week, Governor Roy Cooper issued a press release stating:
North Carolina relies on high-quality early childhood education and child care to support children’s healthy development and learning, allow parents to work and keep businesses running. But these programs are now in crisis and we need the legislature to step up and make real investments before more child care centers close, more early childhood educators quit and programs become unaffordable for too many parents.
Advocates have told EdNC they’re following developments on the national level while setting their sights on N.C.’s long session next year. In the meantime, early childhood educators statewide are trying to figure out how to keep their programs running without raising tuition for parents or cutting pay/positions among staff.
And as Liz reported, several dozen have closed their doors in the period between when federal stabilization grants expired at the end of June, and when state grants started arriving last week.
News & Research
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Child care shortage isn’t a new problem; advocates decry decades of inadequate public money - From NC Health News
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They were babies and toddlers when the pandemic hit. At school, some still struggle. - From Chalkbeat Colorado
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State Policies and Guidance Relating to Outdoor and Nature-Based Experiences in Preschool - From NIEER
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Nearly 1 Million More Children Were in Poverty in 2023 Than 2022, Despite Economic Growth - From Child Trends
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A bigger child tax credit could help students a lot. Will Harris or Trump make it happen? - From Chalkbeat
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OPINION | JD Vance isn’t wrong about the value of family caregivers - From The Washington Post
Taking flight! Opportunities to spread your wings
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EarlyWell Coalition Gathering - From NC Child & NC Early Childhood Foundation
Annual EarlyWell Coalition Gathering
From the organizers: October 29, 2024: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
NC Child and the North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation are pleased to invite you to the annual EarlyWell Coalition Gathering on October 29, 2024 in Charlotte, NC!
The EarlyWell Coalition works with parents and families, health practitioners, care providers, and community leaders to advance public policies to improve the landscape around infant and child mental health in North Carolina.
Registration is free and space is limited.
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2025 National Early Childhood Education Workforce Convening - Request for Proposals - From T.E.A.C.H Early Childhood National Center
From the organizers: The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood National Center at Child Care Services Association invites you to submit a workshop proposal for the 2025 National Early Childhood Education Workforce Convening.
The Convening will be held April 23 – 24, 2025, at the Friday Conference Center at UNC in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Proposals are due by Monday, September 30.
