Although early education programs serving children from birth to age 5 have proven benefits for all children, these programs are not available in every community in North Carolina.

Throughout the Leandro case, the courts have been clear about the need to provide all at-risk students with the opportunity to attend high-quality early childhood programs. A high-quality early foundation for learning is critical for later success in school and can significantly improve life outcomes, particularly for children from families with low incomes. Unfortunately, many North Carolinians still lack access to these vital programs.

Currently, only about half of eligible children are served by North Carolina Pre-K, the state’s high-quality prekindergarten program.[1] 

Historically, the wait list for child care subsidy, a program that helps eligible working families afford high-quality early education for children from birth to age 12, has exceeded 50,000 children each year. Lack of access to subsidy disproportionately impacts children from families with low incomes and students of color.

Inadequate state funding also remains a barrier to fully serving children from birth through their transition into school. Funding for Smart Start — a program funding a wide range of early childhood needs such as improving access and quality of child care and providing health and family support services — is below pre-Great Recession levels, despite growing state needs. State funding for NC Pre-K covers less than 60 percent of costs, requiring providers to identify other funding sources to maintain or expand their programs.

Additionally, child care teachers – who are overwhelmingly women and primarily women of color – remain wildly underpaid, earning an average of $12 per hour. They often lack health insurance and other benefits. Child care providers typically can’t afford to pay higher wages without increasing costs for parents, who already struggle to afford the high cost of child care. As a result, many programs face difficulty in attracting and retaining staff, limiting the availability of high-quality early education programs in many communities.

Finally, North Carolina has not focused on successfully transitioning children from early childhood settings into the school system. Lack of adequate support staff such as school nurses, social workers, counselors, and teacher assistants make it difficult for schools to meet young learners’ social, emotional, and academic development needs.

[1] In general, student eligibility is limited to four-year-olds from families whose gross income is at or below 75 percent of the State Median Income (SMI). Exceptions are made for children in certain military families and children with certain risk factors including developmental disability, Limited English Proficiency, educational need, or a chronic health condition.

Leandro Plan policies that help children under the age of 5

Expanding the NC Pre-K program to make high-quality, full-year services available to all eligible four-year-old children

The NC Pre-K program has demonstrated success in helping four-year-old students enter kindergarten ready to learn, with long-term academic benefits through at least eighth grade. Additionally, the program reduces readiness gaps faced by students from families with low incomes and reduces referrals to special education programs. The Leandro Plan will expand the number of slots, increase the per-slot funding from the state, and provide students with transportation to help local communities overcome barriers to expansion. The state will also pilot a program to develop a similar model of early education programming for younger children in low wealth counties.

Eliminating the wait list for child care subsidy

The child care subsidy system helps low-income families access care, but waiting lists for subsidy are persistent and state funding only provides services to about 1 in 5 eligible families. The Leandro Plan will develop a new funding system to improve subsidy reimbursement rates for child care providers, increase wages for teachers, and eliminate the waiting list for families.

Expanding Family Connects nurse home visit program

The Family Connects program provides nurse home visits to address infant and maternal health and to link families to community services. Home visiting improves educational outcomes, reduces child abuse and maltreatment, and improves health outcomes, but currently only about 1% of all eligible children receive services statewide. The Leandro Plan will expand this program statewide to ensure our youngest children are receiving the services they need to thrive.

Expanding the NC Infant Toddler Program for students with disabilities

The NC Infant Toddler Program provides services and supports for families with children birth through age two with developmental delays or special needs. The Leandro Plan will expand eligibility to include children who are “at risk” of developmental delay, serving approximately 10,000 more children annually. Scaling up this program will help children and families get the services they need as early as possible, preventing more severe developmental delays for children and more costly interventions later in school.

Improving transitions to school by investing in support personnel and data systems

Increasing the number of support personnel in schools will allow schools to better meet the social-emotional, behavioral, and physical health needs of their students, particularly younger students transitioning into K-12 settings. New data systems will improve information sharing and help ensure early education policy decisions are informed by student needs.

Expanding funding for Smart Start

Smart Start invests in local partners in all 100 counties to improve the quality of early learning and implement evidence-based services to increase the health, well-being, and development of children birth to age five. The Leandro Plan will scale up funding for Smart Start to meet the needs of young children more effectively in every community.

Improving pay for the early childhood educator workforce

Professional compensation and benefits for the early childhood workforce are necessary to attract and retain qualified teachers. The Leandro Plan will increase funding for Child Care WAGE$ and Infant Toddler Educator AWARD$ salary supplement programs to improve compensation, education, and retention for eligible teachers. The Plan will also develop a pipeline of qualified educators through recruitment strategies, professional development, and opportunities for teachers to further their own education.