North Carolina Unveils Strategic Child Care and Early Education Plan
Raleigh, N.C. — A new initiative aimed at transforming child care accessibility and affordability across North Carolina has been unveiled by Governor Josh Stein. The North Carolina Task Force on Child Care and Early Education, co-chaired by Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt and Senator Jim Burgin (NC-12), has rolled out its 2025 year-end report, presenting six key recommendations to tackle the state’s pressing child care challenges.
View the Task Force’s 2025 Year-End Report Here
Highlighting the urgency of the child care crisis, Governor Stein noted, “Too many families in our state can’t afford to work because child care is expensive and in short supply.” He emphasized the importance of collaboration with both government and private sectors to implement these recommendations, describing the initiative as beneficial for parents, children, and employers alike.
Similarly, Lieutenant Governor Hunt remarked on the financial strain on families, stating, “Right now, everything feels more expensive for families, and child care is one of the biggest costs they’re trying to manage.” She stressed the essential role of child care as support for working families.
Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley also underscored the economic implications, highlighting that access to child care is crucial for sustaining a skilled workforce in North Carolina. “Employers bringing well-paying jobs to North Carolina want to know our workforce is ready and able to fill them,” he said.
Key Recommendations and Areas of Focus
The Task Force has outlined six primary recommendations to address these challenges:
- Set a statewide child care subsidy reimbursement rate floor
- Develop approaches to offer non-salary benefits for child care professionals
- Explore partnerships with the UNC System, community colleges, and K-12 schools to increase access to child care for public employees and students at public institutions
- Explore subsidized or free child care for child care teachers
- Link existing workforce compensation and support programs for early childhood professionals
- Explore the creation of a child care endowment
Governor Stein initiated the Task Force through Executive Order No. 10 in March 2025. Since then, the Task Force has engaged with numerous experts and explored a variety of issues concerning child care finance, workforce compensation, and the unique needs of specific communities, such as those recovering from natural disasters and military families.
In June 2025, a preliminary report was released, which laid the groundwork for these recommendations. The current year-end report builds on these findings, offering actionable steps to move forward.
Future Plans and Engagement
As the Task Force progresses, work groups will continue to create detailed action plans for each recommendation. Future meetings will delve into child care supply and cost issues, explore ways to make use of existing funds, and learn from successful private-sector and public-private partnerships. Additionally, the North Carolina General Assembly will be encouraged to invest significantly in child care and early education as they reconvene.
The Task Force comprises a diverse group of members, including:
- Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt, State of North Carolina, Co-Chair
- Senator Jim Burgin, NC General Assembly, Co-Chair
- Jennifer Akin, Vice President of Strategic Alliances and the White Oak Collaborative, Blue Star Families
- Senator Jay Chaudhuri, NC General Assembly
- Ashton Clemmons, Associate Vice President of P12 Strategy & Policy, University of North Carolina System
- Representative Sarah Crawford, NC General Assembly
- Amy Cubbage, President, NC Partnership for Children
- Senator Ralph Hise, NC General Assembly
- Lori Jones-Ruff, Regional Programs Manager, Southwestern Child Development Commission, Inc.
- Amar Majmundar, Policy Director, NC Office of State Human Resources
- Beth Messersmith, NC Senior Director, Moms Rising
- Dr. Mary Olvera, State Director of Teacher Education, Public Services, and Perkins Special Populations, NC Community College System
- Ellen Pancoast, Vice President of People Operations, Cone Health
- Susan Gale Perry, Chief Executive Officer, Child Care Aware of America
- Rhonda Rivers, Chair, NC Child Care Commission
- Dan Rockaway, President, NC Licensed Child Care Association
- Theresa Roedersheimer, Executive Director, NC Early Childhood Foundation
- Gary Salamido, President & CEO, NC Chamber
- Meka Sales, Director of Special Initiatives, The Duke Endowment
- Erica Palmer Smith, Executive Director, NC Child
- Noelle Talley, Deputy Secretary for Advocacy, NC Department of Administration
- Dan Tetreault, Assistant Director of Early Learning, NC Department of Public Instruction
- Representative David Willis, NC General Assembly
- Mary Elizabeth Wilson, Chief of Staff & General Counsel, NC Department of Commerce
- Candace Witherspoon, Director, Division of Child Development and Early Education, NC Department of Health and Human Services
For those interested, the Task Force’s full December 2025 report is available here. Public meetings are accessible via the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s YouTube channel, and further details can be viewed in Governor Stein’s Executive Order No. 10 and the Task Force’s official page.
Read More Here
