Publications

Workforce challenges exacerbate child care access issues for families with child care subsidies and private paying families. Given these challenges and the economic stakes for North Carolina, a deliberate, phased approach to aligning child care subsidy payments with the true cost of care is both necessary and strategic.

The childcare crisis hits rural areas where I live particularly painfully, turning a family struggle into a major economic barrier. At an Ashe County summit, a healthcare HR director noted that the lack of reliable care “routinely” forces talented recruits to cut hours or abandon the workforce entirely.

The insights in this report aim to inform policymakers, finders, and community stakeholders as they consider what it truly takes to sustain a high-quality child care system in North Carolina.