CFWNC Grant Awarded to Build Child Care Capacity in TC
The U.S. is in the midst of a national child care crisis and Transylvania County has certainly not been immune to the early child care staffing and capacity shortages that have spiked in the wake of the pandemic. Since 2020, at least a quarter of Transylvania early childhood education staff have left the workforce. This exodus has resulted in long wait lists at many child care centers, with parents experiencing disruptions in their work lives as they struggle to find quality care for their children. Parents of infants and toddlers have been especially affected by the capacity shortage, as this age group is the most expensive to serve and currently the least available type of child care in our community.
Smart Start of Transylvania County (SSTC) is dedicated to halting the loss of qualified and experienced early childhood educators and building child care capacity in our community. In August 2022, the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) awarded SSTC $100,000 in grant funds to stabilize the early childhood education workforce and reverse the trend of diminishing capacity in child care over the next two years. CFWNC understands that an approach to these issues must happen across multiple models of child care all at once. Through partnership with existing child care programs and potential new child care program operators, both in out-of-home and in-home child care settings, SSTC will utilize this grant to create pathways to increase capacity and quality in early child care in Transylvania County.
As Transylvania’s need for increased child care is urgent and immediate, SSTC has already begun allocating funds from this award to assist us with capacity building efforts. In order to increase classroom space for three and four year olds in Transylvania County public elementary schools and serve families on their extensive wait list, we helped to outfit two new classrooms at high demand sites. We also partnered with Ripple Collective, a nature-based early learning program, to create an outdoor gear library for students to use in varied weather and seasons in order to ensure that the outdoor educational experience is an available care option throughout the year.
Alongside our efforts to assist out-of-home child care settings, SSTC has been diligent in its mission to legitimize and support home-based child care (HBCC). Through this grant, SSTC will support the opening of local Family Child Care Homes (FCCH), a form of HBCC that is licensed and regulated by the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE). FCCH’s offer flexible and affordable child care to many parents in rural and underserved areas who otherwise may not have access to child care. Additionally, HBCC settings like FCCH’s often provide a higher percentage of infant and toddler care than traditional out-of-home child care centers. As children 0-2 are the most underserved in Transylvania County, it is vitally important that we assist care providers on the path to opening FCCH’s, in order to increase the number of child care slots available in this age group.
Successfully curbing the shortage of early childhood educators is a crucial aspect of building capacity in child care. SSTC is leveraging the CFWNC grant funds and a vast network of partners to connect child care providers to all available resources that support the delivery of high-quality child care at maximum capacity with a qualified and stable workforce. We are providing consultation to local child care businesses to identify and overcome financial and logistical barriers so that they have the necessary educational materials and support staff needed to operate at full capacity. SSTC is connecting child care providers to expert resources to help create new business plans to support success in the post-2020 state of child care, and we are dedicated to increasing the business and financial management skills for directors and administrators.
SSTC also encourages current and prospective early childhood educators to enroll and graduate from associate and bachelor’s degree programs by participating in T.E.A.C.H, a NC scholarship program for early childhood education degree seekers. A credential or degree increases educator pay and allows licensed centers to achieve and maintain desirable star ratings. We fund the WAGE$ program to supplement local early childhood educator pay in licensed child care operations, making the field more economically competitive with other careers. Ensuring that providers and educators are connected to all fundamental resources needed to perform their job to the best of their capabilities can alleviate stress in the educational workforce, resulting in higher rates of retention and recruitment.
Abundant access to high quality early child care benefits us all. Parents and caregivers who have access to child care are able to enter the workforce or pursue educational opportunities so that they are able to provide their family with security and stability. Providers who are given equitable resources can reach their fullest potential and offer high quality care that appropriately prepares young children for kindergarten and beyond. Children who receive enriching care in their first five years are more likely to succeed in K-12 school, more likely to earn higher wages as an adult, and less likely to be incarcerated in their lifetime. By providing appropriate support to the early childhood community, strengthening existing foundations, and building new avenues of care, we can create a brighter future for our children and our community.
Anyone interested in opening a child care business in either a home-based or center-based environment is invited to contact Rebecca Snurr, SSTC’s Early Childhood Education Capacity & Workforce Lead, at 828-877-3025 or rebeccasnurr@smartstarttransylvania.org.
