The North Carolina Task Force on Child Care and Early Education, co-chaired by Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt and Senator Jim Burgin (R-Harnett), convened today at the State Government Complex in Downtown Raleigh to brief legislators and the public on ways child care access affects our economy. Task Force members led the briefing alongside business community leaders and business executives who participate in ExCEL NC (Executives Championing Early Learning in North Carolina).
Task Force Co-Chairs and speakers urged members of the General Assembly to prioritize investments in our state's child care system this legislative session, including funding for a child care subsidy program. Speakers also encouraged legislators to set a statewide floor for child care subsidy reimbursement rates, a recommendation published by the Task Force last June that has received legislative support and appeared in Governor Stein's 2026 budget recommendations.
"Our state's business community leaders have been critical partners alongside early childhood education leaders in helping us understand child care as a key to economic opportunity," said Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt, Co-Chair of the NC Task Force on Child Care and Early Education. "This legislative session, we urge public investment in child care and early education because child care is more than an essential for moms and kids. It powers our economy."
"Investing in our state's child care subsidy program and setting a floor for child care subsidy reimbursement rates are ideas that have broad-based bipartisan support. We just need to get them across the finish line," said Senator Jim Burgin, Co-Chair of the NC Task Force on Child Care and Early Education.
“Until we secure the supports families and employers rely on, like a stable child care subsidy, North Carolina will continue to face a serious workforce and business challenge,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “This Task Force, our Child Care Business Liaison, business and civic leaders, and state officials are establishing recommendations that prioritize a healthy pipeline of teachers, sound policies, and meaningful investments in child care and early learning to keep our economy competitive and our communities thriving.”
“Not only does quality child care prepare young children for success in school and life, but it is also a major economic driver that enables parents to participate in the workforce,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “When we invest in families by expanding access to affordable, quality early care and learning, we gain overall in better education, health and economic outcomes.”
Meeting speakers included:
- Gary Salamido, President and Chief Executive Officer of the North Carolina Chamber and member of the NC Task Force on Child Care and Early Education
- Carol Steen, Vice President of Human Resources, Information Technology, and Security at Biltmore Farms and ExCEL NC Executive Champion
- Rhonda Rivers, Managing Partner and Co-Owner of LeafSpring Schools, Chair of the North Carolina Child Care Commission, and member of the NC Task Force on Child Care and Early Education
- Chris Paterson, Chief Executive Officer of Carolina Complete Health and ExCEL NC Executive Champion
- Gene McLaurin, President and CEO of Quality Oil Company, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, and ExCEL NC Executive Champion
"Providers already operating on razor-thin margins are missing out on revenue that could help them stay in business and even serve more children," said Rhonda Rivers, Managing Partner and Co-Owner of LeafSpring Schools and Chair of the North Carolina Child Care Commission. "This legislative session, we can help stem the child care closures we're seeing across the state by investing in our child care subsidy program."
Recent research has demonstrated that child care access is critical to ensuring North Carolinians can participate in our workforce. In 2024, research from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the NC Chamber Foundation, and NC Child estimated that inadequate access to child care causes work disruptions that cost North Carolina’s economy $5.65 billion each year. In 2025, the North Carolina Department of Commerce's Labor and Economic Analysis Division found that inadequate child care access affects every county in our state, with North Carolina's three most populous counties -- Wake, Mecklenburg, and Guilford -- experiencing approximately $1.4 billion in economic losses.
"Without enough affordable, high-quality child care, employers across the state are missing out on the talent they need, and skilled workers are sidelined from the workforce," said Gary Salamido, President and Chief Executive Officer of the North Carolina Chamber. "Child care is infrastructure that employers in every industry depend on to meet their workforce needs."
North Carolina continues to experience rapid population growth, but our state's supply of high-quality child care is unable to meet the demand. During a March 2026 presentation to the North Carolina General Assembly's Joint Legislative Oversight Committee, Task Force member Candace Witherspoon, Director of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Child Development and Early Education, explained that North Carolina has seen a net loss of 13% of licensed child care programs since 2019 and that licensed child care is expected to be in record low supply within the next year.
"For generations, industry leaders considering bringing great-paying jobs to our state have admired our commitment to ensuring North Carolinians enter careers skilled and educated, but gaps in our child care and early education system are costing us," said Gene McLaurin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Quality Oil Company and Chair of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina Board of Directors. "We need both public and private investment to close the child care and early education gap."
"Eighteen months after Hurricane Helene, child care access remains essential to our community's economic recovery," said Carol Steen, Vice President of Human Resources, Information Technology, and Security at Biltmore Farms in Buncombe County. "Better subsidy reimbursement rates can help stabilize child care providers at risk of closure so care is there when working parents need it."
"Thousands of children whose households qualify for child care subsidy are stuck on a waitlist, unable to access high-quality child care and early education," said Chris Paterson, Chief Executive Officer of Carolina Complete Health. "Investing in our state's child care subsidy program and improving subsidy reimbursement rates can encourage more child care providers to accept subsidy and help families move off the waitlist."
ABOUT THE NC TASK FORCE ON CHILD CARE AND EARLY EDUCATION
The North Carolina Task Force on Child Care and Early Education was established by Governor Stein through Executive Order No. 10 in March 2025. Its purpose is to expand the supply of accessible, affordable, high-quality child care and early education options for working families in North Carolina. Led by Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt and Senator Jim Burgin, the Task Force includes bipartisan members of the North Carolina General Assembly, leaders from state agencies, business executives, and leaders of child-focused nonprofit organizations. It is housed at the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
ABOUT ExCEL NC
Founded in 2025, ExCEL NC (Executives Championing Early Learning in North Carolina) is a coalition of business owners, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and community leaders advocating for solutions that stabilize child care options, strengthen our workforce, and create a more prosperous economy in North Carolina.