Ashe County in North Carolina experienced an increase in visitor spending during the first year of the pandemic, as people sought refuge in its beautiful mountains and wide open spaces. However, the service industries were unable to keep up with the demand due to a shortage of workers, a problem that is prevalent across the state. The lack of access to affordable child care is a significant factor in this shortage, as parents cannot run businesses while also caring for their children.
To address the child care shortage, leaders across sectors in Ashe County have formed a task force and are exploring creative solutions. The Partnership for Ashe conducted a survey of local businesses, and several expressed a willingness to provide stipends to employees or pay higher taxes to fund more child care access. In addition, a training facility and lab school for early childhood teachers will open this spring through a partnership with Appalachian State University.
Despite these efforts, the early care and education system in North Carolina remains in crisis. Without access to affordable child care, the costs of worker shortages get passed on to consumers in the form of longer lines and higher prices at grocery stores. Furthermore, the health and well-being of children who will become the next generation of workers are at risk without high-quality early childhood care and education. The high costs of health care, public safety, and public assistance programs are already being felt as a result of this.
Experts across the state, including parents, educators, business leaders, and policymakers, agree that investing in early care and education is crucial for North Carolina's economic future. Research has shown that investing in the care and education of young children has a positive impact on both short-term and long-term outcomes. In the short term, parents can earn family-sustaining wages knowing their children are safe and cared for while they work, and evidence shows that children's brains thrive when they have caring adults around them who know how to support their development.
In the long term, investing in the state's infants and toddlers leads to improved health, lower incarceration rates, better educational outcomes, and greater workforce readiness. Economists argue that investments in early childhood bring a higher return than investments at any other point in a lifetime, leading to lower burdens on the state's systems and a higher tax base to pay for them.
The state demographer in the Office of State Budget and Management, Mike Cline, notes that while the fertility rate in North Carolina has held relatively steady over the last decade, the number of births annually has decreased due to the state's aging population. This can lead to a natural population decrease, but census data shows that North Carolina's population increased by 9.2% between 2010 and 2020, even as the number of births decreased by 4.5%. This is due to migration, with people moving into the state for work and looking for opportunities.
However, the state's attractiveness to workers and their families depends on several factors, including accessible, affordable, high-quality early care and education. Without it, the state may struggle to attract and retain the workforce needed to sustain economic growth. Therefore, it is crucial that the legislature steps in to fund early care and education, as local investments can only go so far. Investing in the state's youngest residents is an investment in its economic future.
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