The Childcare Infrastructure: Workforce Development

90% of brain development happens in the first 5 years of life. That means the period from pregnancy through age five is a once-in-a-lifetime window to support learning, bonding, and healthy development. Investing in early childhood is an investment in your future. Without a future workforce of bright minds, fed bellies, and happy kids – we lose the opportunities for growth and innovation that our community needs in order to thrive for generations to come. Investing your time, attention, and resources into the early years is a key component of your retirement plan.

For every $1 invested in early childhood, there is a $4-$16 return on investment. Strong early starts create communities that excel.

Guilford County's child care crisis stems from several intersecting challenges:

• Severe shortages in available slots, especially for infants and toddlers: only 30.9% of children are enrolled locally in a licensed facility. There has been a 10% dec line in number of licensed child care facilities and a 30% decline in Family Child Care Homes, leaving less flexible hours and spaces for voucher recipients. Many areas of the county are considered "child care deserts" without access to centers that transcend barriers of transportation, star rating quality, and cost.
• Rising costs for parents: Approximately 20% of family income goes to childcare for a median family household income, while the average should hover at 7%. With an average cost of $12,000 a year for just a single child, it surpasses the cost of in-state tuition for a college student. Subsidy vouchers still require 10% of income by families and the waitlists and benefits cliffs prevent effective use of funds.
• Underpaid providers: Early childhood educators in Guilford County earn an average of $13.50/hour, less than comparable NC counties, and approximately half utilize public assistance. This is a leading cause for high turnover and staffing shortages that force centers to close or cap enrollment.
• Pandemic‑era funding cliffs: Child Care Stabilization Grants allowed centers to stay afloat during the pandemic. These funds expired in Spring of 2025 resulting in either center closures, decrease in staff pay, or drastic increases in child care costs.
• Economic ripple effects: Insufficient child care costs the state an estimated $5.6 billion/year in lost earnings, productivity, and tax revenue - and drives turnover and absenteeism that harm employers.

Together, these factors - scarce seats, sky-high costs, low wages, funding gaps, and economic drag - have created a destabilized system that leaves local families scrambling and hampers workforce participation. This is not just a family problem – this is a economic development problem, a community problem, a civic problem. And one that takes all of us to solve.   Check out this simulation to better grasp the cost burden of centers, wages, and families: https://costofchildcare.org/

Guilford County Partnership for Children is happy to walk your organization through the impact of addressing child care within your company or collectively. Reach out to Heather to get started.

Then, get to know our local resources such as joining the Future Forward campaign with Action Greensboro by becoming a Family Forward Certified Employer.

Take a look at The Basic’s Employer-HR Brochure (PDF).

View the short documentary, Take Care to look at the child care crisis in North Carolina, how it affects everyone, and what's at stake if we don't fix it. Keep an eye on GCPC’s social media for local viewing events.

Yes, you can download the PDF here. 

• The Childcare Infrastructure Workforce Development (PDF)