Federal funding for affordable childcare could run out by next month, and some state and federal leaders are concerned about the potential impacts this could have on facilities across North Carolina.
Tuesday, Congresswoman Deborah Ross and other education leaders held a roundtable at Kiddie Academy of Brier Creek to hear firsthand the impact the funding has had on childcare facilities.
Co-owners, Cathy Cummings and Amy Johnson say they worry the end of the funding could impact students and the childcare facility itself.
“We will most definitely have to reduce the number of teachers in our center because we absolutely cannot take pay away from our teachers,” said Cummings.
Ross says the end of the funding could threaten to close about 1700 facilities, jeopardizing 155,000 children across the state.
“We need to make sure that in a bipartisan way, we invest in the next generation, and so I will be talking with my colleagues on both sides of the isle about the pressing needs. And I hope that we can translate that into state and local funding,” said Rep. Ross.
The owners of Kiddie Academy of Brier Creek told CBS 17 they’re hoping that county, state and federal leaders can come together to find a solution to this.
In the meantime, they’re planning to cut back on some supplies and non-essential items so they can keep staff.