Early Childhood and Development Committee Meeting: Jan. 6, 2026

Key Decisions The only formal action taken at the January 6, 2026 meeting was the approval of the minutes from the December 2, 2025 meeting. The motion passed with a recorded vote of 12-0. No other votes were taken during the session, as the primary focus of the meeting was information gathering and discussion.

Discussion Highlights The committee held a virtual panel discussion with representatives from four other North Carolina counties to learn how they deploy funds and resources for early childhood development. The panel included Dr. Mary-Margaret Kantor from Mecklenburg County, Dr. Linda Chappel from Durham County, Leslie Mullinax from Forsyth County, and Dr. Shannon White from Cleveland County.

Dr. Kantor discussed Mecklenburg County’s universal pre-K program, which serves all four-year-olds in the county. She noted the program’s FY26 budget is $28.2M, including over $20M from county government, and emphasized the importance of addressing economic mobility through early childhood education. Dr. Chappel shared that Durham County’s program is in its eighth year and currently serves approximately 42% of the county’s four-year-olds, with a goal of reaching 75%. She highlighted a braided funding model that includes an $11.5M recurring investment, $2.4M in ARPA funding, and $400k in other philanthropic investments, noting that the program is not funded with county general funds.

Leslie Mullinax described Forsyth County’s coalition model, which used $4M in ARPA funding over two years to enhance quality in existing classrooms rather than expand seats. She noted that an independent evaluation showed positive gains in literacy, math, and social-emotional outcomes, but long-term funding beyond the ARPA period remains uncertain. Dr. White represented the Cleveland Tri-Share program, though specific details of her presentation were not detailed in the transcript summary.

Common challenges identified by the panelists included teacher recruitment and retention due to low wages, the need for affordable childcare beyond pre-K hours, transportation gaps, and an increase in children with special needs. Panelists also discussed the importance of workforce compensation, including pay parity with public school teachers, and the value of engaging local businesses and philanthropic partners to support sustainable funding models.

Community Input There were no public comments during this meeting.

Follow-ups Committee members were encouraged to follow up with panelists individually for more detailed discussions. No specific staff members or members explicitly agreed to a defined follow-up task at this meeting.

Impact This meeting provided the committee with insights from peer counties on how to structure and fund early childhood programs. The discussion highlighted that sustainable, locally driven funding and workforce compensation are critical for program stability. These lessons will inform the committee’s ongoing exploration of focused investments in Buncombe County, including potential slot reimbursement rate enhancements, locally-designed subsidized childcare models, and workforce supports. The committee continues to examine how best to address the needs of families and children in the county, including exploring partnerships with businesses.