Loading

Annual Report 2022

Letter from the Director

As we reflect on 2022, we are struck by the immense contrasts we often feel. Despite all of the challenges in our world today, there is still something inherently joyful and hopeful about early childhood, and we are grateful to experience this joy and hope through our work for young children and those who care for them.

In the face of hardships exacerbated by the pandemic, we find hope in the child care professionals who show up every single day to serve children, families, and communities. In the face of disappointing legislative outcomes, we find hope in the advocates who never give up and continue to raise their voices for change. And in the face of continued underfunding and disparities, we find hope in the vision of a better future for all children in North Carolina.

Our work together is to turn this hope into action.

Thanks to your hard work and support, we are entering the long legislative session in 2023 with a clear vision, a statewide network of incredible advocates and partners, and a strong foundation of relationships in Raleigh and beyond. This preparation and hard work has made a difference. And there is still more work to be done to make sure that every child and family – regardless of race, income, or zip code – has access to high-quality early learning experiences with educators who are compensated and valued for their important work.

We hope that you enjoy this year in review, as we celebrate all that we have accomplished together in 2022 and look ahead to the exciting opportunities that next year will bring. We are honored to work alongside of you. Thank you for your support and partnership!

Jenna Nelson, Executive Director

2022 Highlights

Policy and Advocacy

The NC Early Education Coalition is the only statewide advocacy coalition dedicated to promoting high-quality, accessible and affordable child care in North Carolina. We accomplish our mission of advocacy and education by: developing policy positions, researching and producing fact sheets, providing training and resources, cultivating relationships with policymakers and the media, engaging a full-time lobbying team at the NC General Assembly, mobilizing advocates, and collaborating with state and national early childhood partners.

In some ways, 2022 has been a “rebuilding year,” as we invested in growing our collective advocacy power on behalf of young children, their families, and their educators. We have trained and engaged hundreds of new advocates across the state, supported community-based early childhood leaders, and continued our in-person and digital advocacy efforts to connect with legislators and lift up the people who are truly leading this movement – you.

Legislative Advocacy: The 2022 short legislative session was just that - short. After the long session of 2021, and with an election right around the corner, state legislators were primarily focused on making minor budget adjustments and getting back to their home districts. Although there were a few bright spots, we believe that this year's budget represents another missed opportunity for early education. North Carolina is facing the quickly-approaching end of federal Covid relief funds for child care programs and families and an increasingly severe early childhood workforce crisis. In light of this year’s record state surpluses, this budget could and should have invested in stable, sustainable policy solutions to ensure that each and every child has the opportunity to grow, learn and succeed. Click here to read our full statement and a summary of what was in the 2022 budget for early education.

Electoral Advocacy: In November, North Carolina voters elected candidates to important public offices at the national, state, and local level. The winners of these elections will make public policy that will directly impact the future development and well-being of North Carolina’s babies, young children, and families. Leading up to the election, we released an Electoral Advocacy Toolkit, an Early Childhood Candidate Questionnaire, and held several webinars to offer resources and guidance on how to participate in electoral advocacy.

Early Childhood Educators Advocacy Academy: This summer, we convened an Early Educator Advocacy Academy for 100 early childhood educators across the state. Participants in the Advocacy Academy received memberships to professional organizations, a financial stipend for their time, DCDEE credits, and extensive training to provide context around the inequities that exist in the political system and the early childhood system, as well as training on how to use their individual power as advocates to influence policy and engage directly with policymakers. This was the first year of a three year project, funded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, and in partnership with the Educational Equity Institute. We are excited to see the impact these advocates will make and look forward to working with another cohort of early educators next year.

Parent and Caregiver Advocacy Academy: In addition to the Early Childhood Educators Advocacy Academy, we launched a separate training series for parents of young children, also in partnership with the Educational Equity Institute. Participants received similar benefits and engaged in trainings that were tailored to their unique experience as parent advocates. This initiative is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Leandro v. the State of North Carolina: The landmark case of Leandro v. State of North Carolina affirms every child’s state constitutional right to a sound, basic education beginning in early childhood. In August, the NC Supreme Court heard arguments in this case for the third time in nearly 30 years, and in November, they issued a 5-4 ruling that the state must transfer the funds necessary to implement years two and three of the Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan. We have advocated for compliance and worked closely with partners on this issue, and we applaud the Supreme Court’s order to fulfill the obligation to provide every child with a sound, basic education, beginning in early childhood!

Events

From webinars and trainings, to in-person advocacy, to social media, to Zoom, Zoom, and more Zoom, our 2022 events brought together advocates, parents, child care providers and teachers, community members, and policymakers to raise awareness about early childhood priorities in North Carolina.

National Strolling Thunder: We attended the national Strolling Thunder event, hosted virtually by ZERO TO THREE's Think Babies™ campaign. We accompanied an amazing NC advocate from Raleigh - a mother and her toddler son - to talk to Members of Congress about the importance of affordable and accessible high-quality child care.

Strolling Thunder NC: We held our 5th annual Strolling Thunder NC event this year and were so excited to be back in person at the NC General Assembly in Raleigh! On June 9th, babies, families and advocates gathered to tell policymakers that when we lift up babies and families, we all can soar. State legislators joined families for a playdate on the lawn to fly kites and hear directly from families and early childhood professionals about issues that impact our state’s youngest children. Click here to read more about the event and click here to see pictures.

Celebrating Child Care Heroes: This summer, we gathered with friends, colleagues, and special guests - including Governor Roy Cooper - to celebrate our work together. We also recognized the child care heroes in our state and raised our glasses for a virtual toast to celebrate the strength and resilience of our child care industry. Click here to read about 2022 Outstanding Early Education Advocate Award winners.

Listening Sessions: We held a series of listening sessions and roundtable discussions with child care providers and with our Coalition members to talk about current challenges, the opportunity that lies ahead, and what is needed in order for us all to work together to build a better early childhood system for everyone.

Think Babies™ NC

Think Babies™ NC seeks to ensure that North Carolina’s youngest children, prenatal to age 3, benefit from effective and equitable public policies, programs, and funding so that all children have what they need to thrive: healthy beginnings, supported families, and quality early care and learning experiences.

The NC Early Education Coalition serves as the backbone organization of the Think Babies™ NC Alliance, led by a cross-sector Leadership Team of state and local organizations focused on advancing public awareness and policy solutions for infants, toddlers, and their families. We are a proud partner in the national ZERO TO THREE Think Babies™ campaign and the National Collaborative for Infants and Toddlers, which is funded in part by the Pritzker Children’s Initiative.

Think Babies™ NC Leadership Community Micro-Grants: We awarded our 5th round of Think Babies™ NC Micro-Grants this year, focusing on building public awareness and policymaker support for babies and families while engaging in deeper collaboration with stakeholders in local communities. This locally-based work included activities such as: a deep dive on prenatal-to-age 3 policy priorities, advocacy trainings, listening sessions and roundtable discussions with policymakers, local public awareness campaigns, and a variety of community events. Click here to read more about their efforts.

Policy Priorities for Babies: The Think Babies™ NC Alliance continued to advocate for our 2021-2025 Prenatal-to-Age 3 Policy Priorities at the local, state, and federal levels, covering health, family support, and early care and learning. Together, these policy priorities will create stronger families, vibrant communities and a prosperous future for North Carolina.

Racial Equity: The Think Babies™ NC Alliance Leadership Team renewed its focus on improving racial equity and building stronger relationships within the Leadership Team. After the completion of a Racial Equity Assessment by consultants, the Leadership Team moved forward on revising multiple components of the internal and external operations, communications, and membership of Think Babies NC Alliance. The next phase of this work includes a needs assessment and community of practice for BIPOC leaders working in early childhood. We are committed to creating a more equitable Alliance, which will in turn promote a more equitable policy agenda for infants, toddlers and their families. Click here to learn more about the Think Babies™ NC Alliance Leadership Team.

Operations

This year, our portfolio of programs and initiatives continued to grow, and we received new and renewed grant funding from ZERO TO THREE, the Pritzker Children's Initiative, Z. Smith Reynolds, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to continue our work for young children, their families, and their educators.

We were also fortunate to have the opportunity to grow our team. Susan Butler-Staub joined us as our Policy & Community Engagement Coordinator, bringing with her a wealth of experience in North Carolina's early childhood field. We also added 5 new members to our Board of Directors in order to continue to build a diverse and experienced group to help guide our work.

Get Involved

Young children and families depend on us to be their champion. Our work depends on you.

Now is the time to transform child care. We can't do this work without you. We need your help to continue our work to win new victories for young children, their families, their educators, and their communities. Every contribution makes a big difference! Here are a few ways you can get involved and support the Coalition:

Become a Member

Our members are a diverse group of statewide organizations, regional and local child care agencies, child care providers, and individuals. They are the heart and soul of our work and the best advocates we know!

Make a Donation

Every contribution makes a big difference! Your tax-deductible contribution will support work that is critical to making progress on issues impacting our state’s youngest children.

Contact Us

Want to learn more about the NC Early Education Coalition? Please explore our website or send us an email!