High quality early care and education programs help prepare children for school and life academically, socially, and emotionally. NC Child promotes access to high quality early care and education, and works to make such programs accessible to all children.
While children from all backgrounds benefit from the availability of high quality, affordable child care, at-risk children (such as those from low-income families or with disabilities or limited English proficiency) often show the greatest gains in cognitive, language, and social skills.Specifically, NC Child works to protect and strengthen the key components of North Carolina’s early childhood care system, which includes Smart Start, NC Pre-K, and child care subsidies.