State leaders say North Carolinaโs child care system is facing a growing crisis as families struggle with long waitlists, rising costs, and fewer facilities.
MATTHEWS, N.C. โ Just hours ago, a joint oversight committee of the North Carolina General Assembly heard from stateย leaders about some of the biggest challenges facing the child care system.
Among the key issues discussed: rising costs for families, a declining number of licensed facilities and ongoing struggles to retain employees in the industry.
During the meeting, North Carolinaโs Director of the Division of Child Development and Early Education Candace Witherspoon described what she called a growing crisis in the stateโs child care system.
For many parents, the challenge begins with simply finding an available spot.
Local parent Darius Smith says the search has been difficult.
โA lot of the daycares we’ve been touring and trying to get into have wait lists of six to seven months,โ Smith said.
State agencies say they are now exploring ways to improve access for families while also strengthening benefits and support for child care providers.
Witherspoon says a governorโs task force is currently working on a series of recommendations aimed at addressing the problem.
Some of those ideas include creating a child care endowment to help fund long-term needs and building partnerships with the University of North Carolina system and K-12 public schools to expand child care access for public employees and students.
Providers say demand for care continues to outpace availability.
Heather Efird with Matthews Presbyterian Church Child Development Center says she regularly hears from parents searching for child care options.
โIโm getting messages from parents every day looking for childcare in the area,โ Efird said. โThe full-time facilities tend to be full with long wait lists, and then they reach out to me.โ
Efird says the center offers a half-day preschool program for children, but even with limited hours, demand remains high.
โWe are full, and moving into the school year we have waitlists on almost every single one of our classes,โ she said.
State leaders say improving availability is critical. Officials estimate if the number of child care facilities does not increase by 2027, North Carolina could fall below 5,000 licensed facilities, a record low.
Efird says the situation has worsened since the pandemic and notes the cost of operating child care centers remains a major hurdle.
โWe have to cover classroom consumables, improvements, insurance and pay staff,โ she said. โThereโs a lot that goes into the price of childcare not just paying for your teachers.โ
Families are feeling the impact across the state, particularly in rural communities where the largest declines in licensed child care facilities are happening.
Smith says he and his family are staying flexible as they continue the search.
โWeโre hoping for the best,โ he said. โWeโre doing our research and being open to maybe not our first option, maybe the second or third.โ
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services says it is also working to create more pathways for people to earn child care licenses while exploring additional ways early childhood educators can meet certification requirements beyond a traditional degree.
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