North Carolina, You Reminded Me What Is Possible

Change is inevitable. But all too often, it sneaks up on you when you least expect it. 

So, to get straight to the point: I will be leaving NC Child in the coming weeks for an incredible opportunity to work at the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center. 

When I was asked to write about my departure, I immediately wondered how I would fit my favorite moments, thank-yous, and parting words into a reasonable word count.  

Ultimately, I realized that what I most wanted to share was how this work changed my understanding of the place I have always called home. 

For nearly two years, I have called NC Child my organization. For 35 years, I have called North Carolina home. 

I grew up in Stokes County, just north of Winston-Salem. If you have talked with me for more than five minutes, you probably know that I LOVE Stokes County. I love rural North Carolina: the proximity to the mountains, the familiar faces, and the spirit of love thy neighbor that shaped my childhood. 

But growing up in a community with fewer than 10,000 residents, I did not always feel like my voice mattered. Decisions affecting my family seemed to be made far away, without considering the experiences of people in King, North Carolina. That feeling stayed with me well into adulthood. 

My time at NC Child changed that.

I have watched parents, teachers, providers, business leaders, and advocates turn their shared experiences into action. I have seen people find common ground in a national political climate that too often rewards division. From Jones County to Jackson County, from King to Kings Mountain, and from West Jefferson to Wilmington, I have seen communities unite because North Carolina’s children need solutions now. 

It is difficult to choose a favorite moment from that work. But one brought my own story and the purpose of this work full circle. 

After months of engagement with the King Chamber and Stokes Partnership for Children, we secured a date for a childcare economic summit. I felt a particular sense of ownership as we prepared. After all, we headed to the best county in the state. I feel entitled to a little bias in my final blog post.

When Neil and I present, we often share why this work matters to us. I typically talk about family members struggling to find and afford child care and how familiar those experiences are across North Carolina. 

But at home, I shared where my own story began. 

My parents worked incredibly hard, but early childhood education was not something our family could afford. I had access because a church and my community invested in us. I did not learn until later that my child care had been free for my family. 

What I knew then was that teachers like Ms. Judy, Ms. Temple, Ms. Melissa, and Ms. Jane made me feel loved and excited to learn. 

I truly believe Ms. Judy’s preschool class at Harvest Temple Child Care set me on the path to becoming the first person in my family to graduate from college and, eventually, the first to earn a doctorate. 

Sharing that story with more than 50 of my neighbors meant more than I can explain. Among them was my late mother’s best friend, my Aunt Debbie. She knew me as the five-year-old whose community made her early childhood education possible. That day, she saw me as the 35-year-old working to make that same opportunity possible for children across our county and state. 

My community’s investment helped me find my voice. NC Child gave me the opportunity to use it. 

And there are thousands of children like me whose futures can change because someone believes in them, supports their family, and makes an investment. 

In July 2026, I saw what our collective voices could accomplish as I sat alongside Kelvin, Hayden, and Erica in the legislative gallery and watched the budget establishing North Carolina’s statewide child care subsidy reimbursement floor pass. Behind that moment were years of work, countless conversations, and people willing to share their experiences and keep asking for change. 

The child who once wondered whether anyone in Raleigh was listening had become part of a community helping make change happen there. 

For that, I have so many people to thank. 

To my NC Child colleagues, thank you for your trust, your partnership, and your commitment to children and families. Thanking each of you individually would require another post, but please know that if you were part of my journey here, I am forever grateful. 

To my fellow advocates and external partners, thank you for your love for North Carolina’s children. I have learned so much from you, and your passion gives me confidence in the future of this work. 

Thank you to the teachers and providers who shared their experiences with me, for your vulnerability and courage. Thank you for continuing to show up for children and families, even when doing so is difficult. Your stories have shaped my work, and I will carry them with me. 

My parting encouragement is simple: keep up the fight and keep finding common ground.

Through this job, I have seen the best in North Carolina. The care for neighbors that I once associated so closely with my hometown is something I have found throughout our state. Among businesses, advocates, educators, direct service organizations, and parents working toward a better future for children. 

There is still so much to do to make North Carolina first in children, from their earliest years through every stage of growing up. Children do not experience the world in policy silos. Neither do their families. Imagine what we can accomplish by bringing the collaboration we have seen in early childhood education to the full range of experiences that shape their lives. 

I believe in the future of this work because of the people in it. 

I was raised to leave places better than when I found them. I hope I have done that at NC Child. What I know with certainty is that I am leaving as a better person and a better professional because of the people I have worked with and the communities that welcomed me. 

Because of you, I am changed for good. 

My work will soon reach beyond our state’s borders, but North Carolina will forever be home. I will be cheering you on, and I cannot wait to see what you all do next. 

Forever yours in service and partnership,

Leanna