New poll shows NC voters across party lines see childcare as workforce, affordability issue

North Carolina’s midterm elections are on Nov. 3, and some voters in both parties are thinking about childcare before they hit the polling place.

A share of the state’s voters say finding and affording childcare is an issue, with many also saying the cost of care is affecting their finances and availability to work.

The statewide poll from the WNC Early Childhood Coalition and First Five Years Fund — a childcare advocacy organization based in D.C. — found that 78% of North Carolina voters say the ability to find and afford childcare is a crisis or major problem.

The concern crosses party lines, with 62% of Republicans, 78% of independents and 90% of Democrats in agreement among those surveyed.

Joseph O’Hern, director of coalition and campaigns for First Five Years Fund, said the organization conducted the poll in August and spoke with 820 voters, many of them from Western North Carolina.

“Affordability is top of mind for voters, and childcare costs are a huge part of that affordability crisis voters are facing,” he said.

Among North Carolina parents who pay for childcare, half said the cost is preventing them from saving or making financial gains. Another 34% said they’re cutting back on other essentials to pay for care.

The costs are also affecting families’ plans for the future. About one in four voters said they’re putting off starting a family because of childcare costs.

Voters also saw childcare as an important part of the state’s economy. About 77% of them agreed that increasing access to care would strengthen North Carolina’s workforce and economy. That percentage increased to 83% among voters polled in the western part of the state.

Greg Borum, director of the WNC Childcare Coalition, said he isn’t surprised to see Western North Carolina voters poll at higher percentages regarding childcare.

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“Our coalition had been charting childcare as an urgent and crisis issue in western counties before the pandemic came along,” he said. “But this crescendo of build-up and awareness that has been growing since that time is really reflected in this poll.”

As childcare centers struggle, voters want more state support 

North Carolina voters also support state efforts to keep childcare centers open and help families afford care, according to the poll.

About 72% support the state subsidizing childcare for low-income families, while another 62% say the state should pay providers enough to cover the actual costs associated with childcare rather than at current funding levels.

The findings come as families continue to grapple with childcare shortages and higher costs.

During and after the pandemic, many providers were able to keep their doors open because of stabilization funds from the federal government. But that funding dried up with the expiration of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, forcing some to close.

However, earlier this year, in the state budget,  lawmakers increased the amount of federal funds going to childcare providers that serve children through the state’s subsidy program. The program helps low-income families afford childcare.

The budget also created a new floor rate that will help stabilize funding for childcare centers across the state. Providers will now receive funding based on the state’s average rate for subsidized care.

But although childcare advocates celebrated the success, many say more work needs to be done to help providers.

Leanna Martin, director of early childhood education policy and research at NC Child, said many centers are also struggling with hiring and retaining staff because state and federal funding doesn’t adequately cover competitive pay for childcare workers.

“This is a critical first step, but we also know that our goal and our hope is that those reimbursement rates will eventually mirror the true cost of providing that care for children,” she said.