Erica Palmer Smith on NC’s child care crisis and the challenges ahead for 2025

NC Newsline

North Carolina remains plagued by a destructive child care crisis that has left many families without options and numerous providers hanging on by a thread.

And while basic concerns for children and families should provide plenty of incentive for state leaders to tackle the problem, a new report compiled by experts at the state Department of Commerce and the children’s advocacy group NC Child, provides another compelling reason: the economy. The report finds that if North Carolina adequately funded child care, the state would realize billions of dollars in new economic activity and create thousands of new jobs. And recently we caught up with the executive director of NC Child, Erica Palmer Smith, to learn more about the report and her group’s other legislative priorities for 2025.

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