North Carolina’s multi-year strategic economic development plan enters its next stage of implementation today with the creation of a new position in the North Carolina Department of Commerce devoted to addressing the insufficient supply of high quality and affordable child care in North Carolina. The new Child Care Business Liaison, initially funded for three-years at the state’s lead agency for economic development, will partner with businesses, local communities, government, and philanthropic organizations to develop strategies employers can utilize to provide child care support to their employees.
Applications for the position are now being accepted.
“Education is the foundation of North Carolina’s economic success,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “Quality early childhood education gives children the start they need, gives the parents the opportunity to work and gives employers the opportunity to hire those parents to strengthen their workforce. The person in the new position will help coordinate these efforts to help children, parents and businesses get the excellent childcare they all need.”
“Our strategic plan for economic development focuses squarely on the need to provide companies with the best workforce in the world, and child care issues are workforce development issues,” said North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Machelle Baker Sanders. “Employers benefit when parents know their children are receiving quality care in a healthy environment -- and I know firsthand that those parents are more likely to stay in the workforce, and are more productive and focused at work.”
The Child Care Business Liaison position is also supported by Invest Early NC, a funders collaborative that promotes the development and sustainability of a comprehensive early childhood system in North Carolina.
“This grant funded position will strengthen and institutionalize relationships among philanthropy, the Department of Commerce, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services,” said Amber Payne of Invest Early NC. “Invest Early NC is pleased to partner with the State of North Carolina on our shared vision for an early childhood system that benefits all children, families, and communities in North Carolina.”
The Departments of Commerce Health and Human Services will equally invest in the child care position, connecting child care, economic development, and philanthropic resources to offer innovative solutions to North Carolina businesses.
“Early childhood education sits at the intersection of health and well-being, workforce and economic development as childcare gives parents the security they need and their children the high-quality learning that is critical to their success in life,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “Our collaboration with N.C. Commerce is an innovative child care strategy that will build a stronger child care workforce and ultimately a stronger North Carolina.”
Details on how to apply for the Child Care Business Liaison position are posted on the State Government jobs website here. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 12, 2024.
Information on the importance of child care to the overall health of the state’s workforce is detailed in the First in Talent strategic plan for economic development available at the Commerce website.