Policymakers, employers and local leaders came together in Raleigh for the premiere of a new, short documentary on North Carolina’s child care crisis — "Take Care" — and to participate in a discussion on how to create lasting solutions that support children’s healthy development, allow parents to work and keep businesses running.
"Take Care" examines North Carolina’s child care crisis through the voices and stories of the state’s families, child care providers and teachers, and business and community leaders. It provides firsthand accounts of how child care impacts everyone, what is at stake if it is not fixed, how communities are trying to address the crisis and the need to work together to solve the crisis.
"This film makes our child care crisis real for people and demonstrates that North Carolinians — whether they’re parents, employers, teachers or elected officials — want us to come together to finally solve this critical issue for the working families of North Carolina," said Candace Witherspoon, acting director of the Division of Child Development and Early Education at the NC Department of Health and Human Services.
The discussion was moderated by award-winning journalist and CEO of PBS North Carolina, David Crabtree, and featured Debra Derr, director of government affairs with the NC Chamber; Susan Gale Perry, CEO of Child Care Aware of America; Rhonda Rivers, vice chair of the Child Care Commission; and Rob Zapple, a New Hanover County commissioner.
"At PBS North Carolina, we recognize the critical importance of our children to our state and our collective future," Crabtree said. "Few things matter more to our children than access to high-quality early care and education. This film highlights the urgency of the situation through the stories of diverse voices across North Carolina. By showcasing this issue, we hope to inspire action and collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure a bright future for our children, families and the communities of our state."
While North Carolina relies on quality child care, these programs are in crisis. Teachers cannot afford to stay in the profession. They earn an average of $14 per hour, which is not enough to meet basic needs for housing, food, health care and other necessities. They are leaving for jobs at convenience stores and gas stations that pay more. As a result, child care programs are either closing or are under-enrolled because they cannot hire teachers. Between January and August this year, 191 child care programs have closed in North Carolina.
"I remember when I first started out in this field; I was making $8 an hour and having to try and live off of that," Gabrielle Kira McClure, an early childhood teacher, says in the film. "I feel like knowing that teachers aren't going to get paid very much for this job, it's a huge deterrent. If you're having to pay off your student loans or pay for housing, gas, groceries, all of these things, you want to find a job that can be able to support your livelihood."
Employers are feeling the impact. Research by the NC Chamber Foundation shows that parents of young children in North Carolina are leaving the workforce (26%), refusing job opportunities, promotions, or new jobs (37%), missing work (60%) and not pursuing job training or continuing education (32%). This costs the state $1.36 billion in lost tax revenue and employers $4.48 billion.
"If the early care programs start closing, we know the ramifications behind that," Parnell Bryant, Human Resource Director at Cummins Rocky Mount Engine Plant, says in the documentary. "We need good employees that work for Cummins, and [our child care program] brings us the recruitment we need to operate the facility."
"Take Care" is available free-of-charge at TakeCareNC.com. The website includes tools to host a local screening and discussion as well as flyers and social media graphics to share the film with others. Take Care was produced by Neimand Collaborative and SeeBoundless with funding from the NC Department of Health and Human Services.