NC Child

On our blog this month is a Q&A with Christina Ruiz, a fierce advocate for North Carolina's children and families and one of our EarlyWell Family Leaders. "I don’t think anyone expected the severity of Hurricane Helene in the mountains of Western North Carolina. When we initially moved here, we did so in search of a safe wholesome place with clean water and fresh air.   We moved from NYC shortly after Hurricane Sandy shook our apartment building and half of Manhattan was without power. We thought we would be safe in these mountains and made it our home for the past ten years. This natural disaster has uprooted us and shaken us to our core. What was once safe, familiar, and our foundation feels like it is crumbling." Read more: https://lnkd.in/ePVdWR_J

Join our Parent Advisory Council! The PAC is a dedicated and passionate group of parents and caregivers from all across the state that work together to ensure that the voices and experience of parents and families are included in advocacy efforts around Medicaid. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/eyXU72Ny

ICYMI: In this new report from NC Child and the North Carolina Department of Commerce, 1 in 5 North Carolina employers attribute hiring challenges to lack of accessible, affordable child care. “The Empowering Work report confirms the vital role of child care access in helping parents maintain employment and support their families,” said Erica Palmer Smith, executive director of NC Child. “Greater public investment in early childhood education can help children succeed while enabling a thriving economy.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/eaCFC23E

On our blog: "Building a Future for Her Family, Norma Delarosa's Story" "Norma and her family are insured through Medicaid now; while it’s helped them all access healthcare to one degree or another, Norma says that she’s noticing fewer providers that accept Medicaid. 'There’ve been times when I’ve had to take my children to the emergency room because there isn’t a doctor anywhere in the area that accepts Medicaid or has any availability.'” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gZmcV4Zp

Check out this incredible story from the Star News on the work one of our EarlyWell Family Leaders, Stacy Pullen, does to support foster families in Wilmington. "'My work with Foster Pantry provides me with the opportunity to serve not just the children in foster care but be a support for the families that care for them,' Pullen said." https://lnkd.in/eDCbtTdX

On Tuesday, we were in Charlotte at The Duke Endowment to host our second annual in-person EarlyWell Convening in partnership with North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation. Thank you to everyone who came out!

From EducationNC: "Solving the child care crisis would create large economic gains for North Carolina". “When you put together those two reports, it really shows us what our economy has missed out on because of the child care crisis, but also what our economy could look like if we address the child care crisis,” said Tiffany Gladney, NC Child’s senior director of policy and government relations. https://lnkd.in/ecgY-6Ui

From our blog, a Q&A with Nikia Bye, the founder of Trusted Parents and a member of NC Child's Parent Advisory Council, about her advocacy for child wellbeing and parents with special needs children. https://lnkd.in/e4WeZ7pD

With our partners at the North Carolina Department of Commerce, we've released a new report detailing the economic impact of the child care crisis. Read the press release here: https://lnkd.in/dGzazw3A Download the report here: https://lnkd.in/gavpaXbq

One final thank you to all of the sponsors who helped make our first Field Day so wonderful. We're already looking forward to next year's event! WakeMed BSN SPORTS Carolina Complete Health TowneBank J-NOTT GTT Wegmans All American XC