LUMBERTON — The National Association for the Education of Young Children, will celebrate Week of the Young Child (WOYC) April 1-7. This week is a celebration of young children, their families, teachers, communities and early learning. Each day will have a special theme: Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday, and Family Friday. Just a few examples of how we, at the Robeson County Partnership for Children, plan to celebrate are: visiting with early child care centers to sing and play music on Monday, making pizzas with NC Pre-k children on Tuesday, and hosting facilitated activities at the Exploration Station on Wednesday and Thursday.

In support of all things young children, we must mention the state of our current child care system. The child care system is in crisis and the importance of high quality in early child care should be highlighted. Studies have shown that early child care can help to develop social and emotional skills that children need to be successful and graduate high school. Early child care creates a strong base for lifelong learning, improving test scores, and future development.

Unfortunately, our current system is lacking. Every county in North Carolina is considered a “child care desert”; waitlists are long and families are competing to access scarce child care slots. Locally, in Robeson County, 6 out of 6 child care centers that were surveyed and responded had a waitlist for the upcoming 23-24 school year. Furthermore, the crisis is compounded by high rates of teacher turnover and child care directors are struggling to keep child care centers open. We have 2 fewer child care centers in Robeson County since 2020, and the fear of future closures weighs heavy. Local child care directors and administrators expressed concerns about staffing shortages, funding needs, and general lack of support.

Parents and guardians are also starting to feel the weight of the crisis. According to Census.gov, in 2021, the median income in Robeson County was $36,736. According to surveyed local child care centers, the average cost for one infant in child care is $6,032 per year. This equates to almost 17% of the reported median income. “I have 3 kids that I can barely afford daycare for now, but I also can’t afford to stay at home from work” says a local parent.

“It’s crucial that families have the tools they need to be able to work and support their children with safe and nurturing learning environments in their earliest years. But parents can’t afford to pay more, early educators can’t afford to make less, and our state’s economy can’t thrive without a stable child care system.” –North Carolina Early Education Coalition

Dedicated to advancing the quality and affordability of early care and education for young children since 1990, The North Carolina Early Education Coalition believes, like many of us, that every child deserves the opportunity for a strong start and a solid foundation. To ensure that each child in North Carolina is ready to grow, learn, and succeed, the Early Childhood Education the Coalition’s priorities for the 2023 Legislative session focus on increased sustained investments that will support children’s healthy development and learning, family economic security and employment, a strong early childhood workforce, and the state’s economic prosperity. Along with these priorities for the 2023 NC Legislative Session, the Early Childhood Caucus introduced 5 bills to support child care and maternal health earlier this March. They cover several of the top priorities for this legislative session.

HB 342/SB 292: $300M to extend the compensation portion of the Stabilization Grants to support the child care workforce. Click here to read our new fact sheet on this issue.

HB 343/SB 288: Increases the Child Care Subsidy reimbursement rate and establishes a “statewide floor.”

HB 322/SB 293: Establishes a pilot for a Tri-Share model, which splits the cost of child care between the state, businesses, and eligible employees.

HB 344/SB 291: Temporarily extends the “hold harmless” policies established during Covid to allow child care programs more flexibility on certain QRIS/star rating requirements.

HB 321/SB 294: Allows for Medicaid coverage of doula services and group prenatal care. As we celebrate Week of the Young Child this first week of April, we hope that you will make time to celebrate the young children in your life and in your community. To learn more about the NC Early Childhood Education Coalition’s Early Education Policy Agenda visit www.ncearlyeducationcoalition.org/issues. There is an opportunity for advocacy at the NC General Assembly on April 20, 2023 with the Child Care for NC; visit www.childcarefornc.org for information about the United for Change Advocacy day.

Robeson County Partnership for Children Inc. has collaborated with local agencies to provide quality activities and resources for ALL children birth to five years of age, their families, and caregivers. Smart Start – a public-private initiative that provides early education to improve the quality of child care – makes child care more affordable and accessible, provides access to health services, and offers family support. Robeson County Partnership for Children, Inc. funds activities in the areas of education, health and family support with the goal of ensuring that young children enter school healthy and ready to succeed. The partnership also operates Exploration Station, which provides unique hands-on learning experiences and programs for children, families, teachers and childcare providers. Additionally, Robeson County Partnership for Children Inc. provides a NC Pre-Kindergarten program designed to provide a high-quality educational experience to enhance school readiness for eligible four-year-old children.