NORTH CAROLINA, USA — North Carolina legislators are in the middle of working out the state budget for the next two years and deciding how to spend billions of dollars. Meanwhile, early child care advocates are calling for lawmakers to prioritize funding in their industry.
Child care providers say they fear there will be a mass exodus of employees if funding is not made available to support vital programs in early education.
Tuesday, child care providers and families are making a final plea to state lawmakers to increase investment in early childhood education. They say the funding is necessary so they can keep their doors open.
“Our child care providers spend as much time with our children as I do as a parent,” Stephanie Misko, a parent, said. “It is so important to me that they are cared for and that they are treated as the valuable professionals they are."
Child care centers provide kids with a safe space to learn and grow. It’s a space families across the state depend on.
“As a parent, this is crucial because I rely on preschools and the resources here so that I can go to work,” Misko said. “The preschool is the place where my kids are learning all of the foundational skills they need to be good citizens someday.”
Pathway Preschool Center director Emma Biggs said the early child care industry is at risk of collapsing -- especially if federal money made available during the pandemic set to expire in December is not replenished.
“This money helped us to sustain the staff that we have,” Biggs said.
Child care providers are keeping their eye on the 2024 state budget because, without the proper funding, they fear more educators will walk out.
“We know that we are going to lose a lot of employees,” Biggs said. “Employees like myself who have been for 10, 15, 20-plus years and they are going to go to other positions that pay them more money and benefits we cannot offer.”
Fewer employees mean fewer kids providers can take in, and that leads to empty classrooms.
“Without that $300 million we are asking for and have been asking for, it would allow them to lose on average $3 to $5 an hour when grant funding ends at the end of the year,” Biggs explained.
Advocates say the money is needed to stabilize the industry and support working families.
“This is actually a movement for us; it is important to let them know we are not going anywhere," Biggs said. “We are going to keep pressure on them to let them know that we need this money in order to secure the future of early education in the state of North Carolina.”
Child Care for NC and the National Domestic Workers Alliance hosted a virtual rally at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday on this push. House and Senate budget conferees are expected to present the final proposal by the end of the month.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.