Governor Stein issued an executive order formally establishing the North Carolina Task Force on Child Care and Early Education to identify strengths and gaps in the current system, strengthen public and private investment in child care infrastructure, and work to recruit and retain a strong child care workforce. The Department of Commerce will be the lead agency supporting the Task Force.  

The Task Force will meet monthly through June 2025, when it will submit a report of preliminary recommendations to the Office of the Governor. Following that, they will meet every other month and/or at the call of the Chairs or the Governor. The Task Force will submit a year-end report by December 31, 2025, and annually by December 31 of each year.    

Duties 

  • Examine the role of financing in North Carolina’s early childhood education system, including strengths and gaps in the current funding model and system infrastructure.    

  • Review and evaluate policy solutions that strengthen the supply of accessible, affordable, safe, and high-quality child care and early education by reviewing and establishing strategies to recruit and retain a strong child care and early education workforce, expand child care supply for the public sector workforce, and maximize compensation, opportunities, and additional supports for early childhood education providers and teachers.     

  • Identify opportunities to maximize the impact of existing funding and develop recommendations to direct new public and private investment towards gaps in system infrastructure, especially engaging the business community.     

Members 

The Task Force will be comprised of up to 25 members the Governor will appointand will represent members of the cabinet, the legislature, employers, advocacy organizations, child care and early education experts, and community partners. Task Force members will serve a term of two years. Current appointees include:  

The members of the task force are as follows: 

  • Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt (co-chair)  

  • Senator Jim Burgin (co-chair)  

  • Senator Jay Chaudhuri  

  • Senator Ralph Hise   

  • Representative Sarah Crawford  

  • Representative David Willis, Owner & Operator of Kiddie Academy 

  • Mary Elizabeth Wilson, Chief of Staff and General Counsel, North Carolina Department of Commerce   

  • Candace Witherspoon, Division Director, Division of Child Development and Early Education, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services   

  • Noelle Talley, Deputy Secretary for Advocacy, North Carolina Department of Administration   

  • Amar Majmundar, Policy Director, North Carolina Office of State Human Resources   

  • Amy Rhyne, Senior Director, Office of Early Learning, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction   

  • Dr. Mary Olvera, State Director of Teacher Education, Public Services, and Perkins Special Populations, North Carolina Community College System Offices  

  • Rhonda Rivers, North Carolina Child Care Commission Chair; President of the Executive Board, North Carolina Early Education Coalition; Managing Partner/Co-owner of LeafSpring Schools of North Carolina 

  • Gary Salamido, President and Chief Executive Officer, NC Chamber   

  • Amy Cubbage, President, North Carolina Partnership for Children 

  • Lori Jones-Ruff, Interim Executive Director, Southwestern Child Development Commission, Inc.  

  • Dan Rockaway, President, NC Licensed Child Care Association; Co-Founder and Owner of Sounds and Colors Child Care Centers 

  • Ellen Pancoast, Vice President People Operations, Cone Health   

  • Michelle Logan, Vice President General Manager, Drug Product North America, Thermo Fisher  

  • Ashton Clemmons, Associate Vice President, P12 Strategy and Policy, University of North Carolina System 

  • Beth Messersmith, NC Senior Director, MomsRising; North Carolina Child Care Commission member; parent who has navigated the child care system 

  • Erica Palmer Smith, Executive Director, NC Child 

  • Theresa Roedershimer, Executive Director, North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation   

  • Meka Sales, Director, Special Initiatives, The Duke Endowment; Co-Chair, Invest Early, NC  

  • Susan Gale Perry, Chief Executive Officer, Child Care Aware of America 

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