Research-backed ideas from the NC Chamber Foundation are moving from paper to policy.  

Released in February 2025, the Foundation’s “Addressing North Carolina’s Child Care Crisis,” outlines practical, data-driven strategies to strengthen child care as essential workforce infrastructure for our state’s economy. 

This month, North Carolina took a meaningful step forward. 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced the launch of Child Care Academies and new short-term training pathways for early childhood educators, directly advancing one of the Foundation’s key recommendations to expand and stabilize the child care workforce.  

Child Care Is an Economic Imperative 

The Foundation’s report made clear that when child care is unavailable, unaffordable, or unstable, parents are forced to reduce hours, leave the workforce, or turn down job opportunities.  

North Carolina’s child care workforce shortage has been one of the most significant barriers to expanding child care supply. Providers cannot open new classrooms, or keep existing ones operating, without qualified educators. The result is a bottleneck that limits workforce participation across every sector of the economy. 

A Recommendation Put into Action 

Among the report’s eleven strategies was a call for innovative, scalable workforce development models, including Child Care Academies.  

The Governor’s Task Force on Child Care and Early Education intermediary report released in June included this recommendation, demonstrating how the Foundation’s child care work catalyzed state-level action. 

In early December, NCDHHS announced the implementation of this model. Through partnerships with 16 North Carolina institutions, Child Care Academies will offer a shortened intensive training and certification that prepares participants for careers in child care at no cost to them, ultimately helping more individuals enter the early childhood education workforce and supporting providers facing critical staffing shortages. 

This is exactly the kind of solution the Foundation’s research called for—practical, responsive, and focused on measurable outcomes. 

What This Means for Families, Employers, and Communities 

For families, these academies mean greater access to reliable, high-quality child care—allowing parents to stay in the workforce, pursue education, and build economic stability. 

For employers, a stronger child care system supports recruitment, retention, and productivity across industries, from manufacturing and health care to technology and small business. 

For North Carolina’s economy, this investment helps unlock workforce participation, support long-term competitiveness, and ensure the state remains a place where businesses and families can thrive. 

Research That Drives Results 

The NC Chamber Foundation’s mission is to deliver research that doesn’t just diagnose challenges, but elevates solutions. The state’s move to implement Child Care Academies demonstrates how data-driven analysis, stakeholder engagement, and a focus on economic impact can elevate critical issues and help shape meaningful policy outcomes. 

Child care remains one of North Carolina’s most pressing workforce challenges, and there is more work ahead. But this moment shows what’s possible when research informs action and policymakers, educators, and employers work together to strengthen the systems that support working families and a strong economy.