Will the state 'make a down payment on our young people's future'?
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State lawmakers will create a two-year budget over the coming months. We’ve got you covered on the basics of state government, the key players in the early childhood policy landscape, and the key child care policy ideas at play this session.
From Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger’s opening session remarks to Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt’s policy package, leaders from across the aisle are placing child care among their top priorities.
Making progress in access and affordability will require funding. The two big questions facing policymakers are: Where should that funding come from, and where should it go?
Early childhood caucus co-chairs (from last session, and likely this session too) told me they’re looking at models that split the responsibility between multiple entities and levels of state government. Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, D-Wake, said it will all come down to finding a dedicated state funding stream for early childhood programs.
“That’ll be one of the key budget questions that lawmakers need to ask, is whether we’re willing to make a down payment on our our young people’s future,” Chaudhuri said.
No matter where the funding comes from, legislators will have to decide how to spend it. I broke down the options in four main categories: supports for existing and new child care programs, supports to recruit and retain teachers, supports to help families afford care, and supports for early childhood administration.
Policymakers will be making these decisions while the compensation grants propping up the system are set run out in March. In the meantime, we’re continuing to track program closures. Katie’s most recent analysis found the state experienced a net loss of 5.6% from February 2020 to November 2024.
Meanwhile, quality standards for child care are changing. The state Child Care Commission is accepting feedback on the proposed changes to QRIS through April 4, via online and written comments and an in-person hearing on March 26. The changes would give child care facilities three pathways (instead of one) to earn ratings, lower formal education requirements, and include new kinds of standards like family and community engagement.
Thanks for reading, and for all you do for young children.
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Screenings of "American Coup: Wilmington 1898" - From PBS North Carolina
PBS North Carolina is hosting free screenings for community members (Feb. 20 in Winston-Salem) and educators (Feb. 25 in Elizabeth City and Feb. 26 in Wilmington) of the documentary, “American Coup: Wilmington 1898.”
From PBS: “Discover the story of the deadly 1898 race massacre and coup d’état in Wilmington, North Carolina, when white supremacists overthrew the multi-racial government of the state’s largest city through a campaign of violence and intimidation.”
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An in-person lecture on play-based early childhood engagement - From Duke University's Center for Child and Family Policy
Hear from Mariah Douglass Bruehl, CEO of Playful Learning (a curriculum and play-based method), on March 6, from 3:30 to 4:30, on engaging instructional strategies, classroom design, and family partnerships centered on play.
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A webinar to learn best practices to engage dual-language learners - From Ohio State University's Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy
On March 5, from noon to 1 p.m., hear from Dr. Ji-Young Choi, associate professor in human development and family science, who will “explore equitable classroom environments for linguistically diverse children.”
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An educator training webinar on discipline - From Healthy Social Behaviors Helpline
Talk to experts on this webinar, Feb. 18 from 7 to 8 p.m., about how to incorporate logical consequences in early childhood classrooms, and how to discern between helping children understand consequences and punishing them.
