North Wake News

Governor Josh Stein has announced the formation of the North Carolina Task Force on Child Care and Early Education. The task force aims to address challenges in accessing affordable, high-quality child care and early education throughout the state, while also focusing on supporting and expanding the child care workforce.

Governor Stein emphasized the importance of accessible child care, stating, “Access to high-quality child care ensures that North Carolina’s children can learn and thrive during their formative years, which shapes their educational trajectory.” He added that he is proud to bring together various stakeholders including providers, legislators, business leaders, parents, community partners, and industry experts to support parents, educators, and the economy.

During his State of the State address earlier this week, Governor Stein highlighted significant gaps in North Carolina's child care system. Currently, there is only one available child care spot for every five families seeking one. Additionally, four out of five families pay more than 7% of their income for infant care. The poverty rate among early childhood educators is also notably higher than that of other workers in North Carolina.

The task force includes a diverse group of members such as Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt (co-chair), Senator Jim Burgin (co-chair), and several other senators and representatives. It also features professionals from various sectors related to child care and education.

Governor Stein remains committed to ensuring safe and supportive environments for children’s learning while helping parents remain in the workforce by improving access to child care.

Coverage of this announcement was featured in several news outlets including The News & Observer with its piece "Under the Dome: Gov. Stein announces bipartisan task force to expand access to child care," WNCN's report titled "Governor Stein’s new task force looks to make childcare more affordable, accessible," WUNC's coverage on addressing the "child care crisis" in North Carolina, WECT's article on helping a statewide “crisis,” and EdNC's announcement about the new task force.