Yesterday, Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt visited Providence Preparatory School in Charlotte as part of her Future-Ready Child Care Tour. During the visit, the Lieutenant Governor toured the center and met with owner Sandy Weathersbee and educators to discuss how we can set up families and children for success.
“Our children are our future and the availability of quality, affordable child care is essential to North Carolina’s success today and tomorrow,” said Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt. “I am continuing to visit child care centers and meet with stakeholders to build real solutions to this crisis, so families across our state can thrive.”
"We are honored that Lieutenant Governor Hunt would want to visit Providence Preparator School as part of her Future-Ready North Carolina policy platform," said owner Sandy Weathersbee. "Quality early education is not only essential infrastructure, but a major catalyst for economic development. Child care and early education are no longer luxuries, they have become a necessity. Much of what North Carolina enjoys today is a result of smart public and private investments made decades ago. Not focusing on this issue will increase the cost of educating children from kindergarten through high school, not to mention the negative impact on North Carolina’s greater workforce and our ability to attract economic development."
Last month, the Task Force on Child Care and Early Education realized its initial report outlining six recommendations to make high-quality child care more accessible, affordable, and sustainable in North Carolina. Lieutenant Governor Hunt serves as Co-Chair of the Task Force along with Senator Jim Burgin. The task force is working to find solutions to the child care crisis by identifying strengths and gaps in the current system, strengthening public and private investment in child care infrastructure, and working to recruit and retain a strong child care workforce.
The Lieutenant Governor launched her Future-Ready Child Care Tour in April and will travel the state visiting centers and meeting with providers to identify solutions to the child care crisis.
Read more about Lieutenant Governor Hunt’s Future-Ready Plan here.
Stay updated on the Future-Ready Child Care Tour here.