Governor Cooper established the North Carolina Early Childhood Advisory Council (NCECAC) through Executive Order 40 in February 2018-December 2020

Dr. Mandy Cohen, Former Secretary of the NC Department of Health and Human Services, chaired the Council, which included 25 members appointed by the Governor from education (from early childhood through higher education), as well as representatives from business, government, research, philanthropy, health care, mental health, social services, and parents.

The foundation for future learning, health, and well-being is built during early childhood. The NCECAC supported the NC Early Childhood Action Plan released on February 27, 2019 that lays out a bold vision and roadmap for how the state can create better futures for our young children by 2025. Read more about the plan HERE. 

On March 18, 2019, members of the NCECAC wrote to the North Carolina General Assembly to urge them to support Medicaid expansion to help young children and families. The letter recommends increasing access to health care coverage for more adults across the state as a way to ensure more of North Carolina's babies are born healthy and grow up to stay healthy. Read the letter HERE.