Impact & Stats

For Families:

• In North Carolina, an estimated 66% of children under the age of 6 and 67% of children aged 6-12 live in homes where all parents work, resulting in a significant need for child care.¹
• On average, young children with working mothers spend 36 hours a week in child care.²
• The average cost of center care for a preschooler consumes 40% of the median income for a single-parent family and more than 10% for a two-parent family.²
• North Carolina ranks 15th in resources spent on public preschool in the State of Preschool 2021 report by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER).³

For Childhood Development:

• In August 2019, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Early Childhood released a report that supports how quality child care improves physical and cognitive outcomes on children which can result in enhanced school readiness.⁴
  • In North Carolina, 7 out of every 10 children in child care have access to quality care (4- or 5-star care).⁴

For the Economy:

• North Carolina has 5,598 regulated child care programs employing approximately 36,753 individuals.⁵ These businesses contribute massively to the state’s economy by purchasing goods and services in their communities.