The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation recently released a report that the lack of access to childcare in North Carolina is costing $5.65 billion in lost economic activity every year.

A crisis is looming in our state by June 30, just days away — a crisis for families, for businesses and for our economy. If the N.C. General Assembly doesn’t act this week to fund early childhood education by at least $300 million, nearly a third of childcare providers will have to close as federal relief funding comes to an end this month. This will leave 100,000 young kids without care, their families without options and businesses without essential workers.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation recently released a report that the lack of access to childcare in North Carolina is costing $5.65 billion in lost economic activity every year. Without state funding, parents will have to pay an additional $100 a month per child to be able to go to work. Our economy will take a big hit. High quality early education is essential for children’s development and for a healthy competitive workforce.

I am outraged that both the N.C. House and N.C. Senate agree that the state should spend millions of dollars for private school vouchers for families that can already afford private schools – schools that aren’t required to have certified teachers or standardized testing, that can deny admission based on religion, sexual orientation of disabilities. But they are not willing to assure basic childcare for hundreds of thousands of young children so their parents can be productive workers.

If you care about our children and if you care about our economy, let your representatives in Raleigh know: our state needs funding for early childhood education, now!

Eileen Hanson-Kelly