Advocacy & Awareness
Advocacy & Awareness

The Childcare Infrastructure: Workforce Development

Early Childhood Development: The Future Workforce

  • 90% of brain development happens by the age of 5
  • 31,550 children ages 0-5, not yet in kindergarten, are living in Guilford County
  • Kindergarten readiness is a key indicator of life long success
  • $1 invested in early childhood yields a $4–$16 return
  • 30.9% of Guilford County children ages 0-5, not yet in kindergarten, are enrolled in a licensed childcare facility
  • 24% of children ages 5 and younger in Guilford County live in poverty

Childcare Accessibility & Affordability: The Active Workforce

  • 10.2% decline in number of available licensed childcare facilities and homes
  • 81.4% of males participate in the labor force regardless of parental status while 78.8% of females participate in the labor force when children are under age 6
  • Accessible childcare could increase North Carolina’s annual economic input by up to $13.3 billion and boost GDP by $17 billion
  • 69% of children under the age of 6 living in Guilford County live in a household where the sole parent or both parents in the household work, while only 30.9% are enrolled in care
  • 20.8% of family income goes to childcare for a 2-year-old in a 4-star facility for a median family household income
  • 2,166 eligible 4-year-olds enrolled in the largest NC Pre-K program in the state

Early Childhood Education: The Driving Workforce

  • Median hourly wage for an early educator is $13.50, below all comparable counties
  • Almost half (49%) of early educators reported public assistance usage
  • 19% turnover rate among Child Care WAGE$ participants in Guilford County in 2024
  • 9.1% decrease in overall childcare enrollment over a 5-year period

Source: Guilford County Partnership for Children Community Needs Assessment Report Action Greensboro, Ready for School, Ready for Life, Guilford County Schools, NC Department of Commerce

Frequently Asked Questions

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. 

Right here! The GCPC Community Needs Assessment Report can be accessed by PDF HERE or by free online at Issuu. 

Contact us to design an event that fits your needs. Take Care, a short documentary highlighting the local child care crisis, can be found at takecarenc.com. Staff at GCPC can tailor the event to fit your needs from a panel, Q&A to solutions lab. This event can be ideal for employers, chamber members, educators, board members, donors, families, and community members. We look forward to collaborating with you!