State lawmakers and local leaders are set to pack into downtown Durham on Thursday for a blunt conversation about what many say is a child-care system on the ropes in North Carolina. The roundtable at Kate’s Korner will bring legislators, providers and advocates to the same table to hunt for quick fixes and sketch out longer-term funding strategies. Organizers say they want the classroom realities providers are living with every day to land squarely in front of policymakers before legislative work ramps up this spring.
What’s happening Thursday
As reported by WRAL, the “State of child care in NC” roundtable starts at noon at Kate’s Korner and will include Sen. Natalie Murdock, Rep. Vernetta Alston, Sen. Sophia Chitlik and Rep. Zack Hawkins. The discussion is expected to feature child-care providers who have managed to make public-private partnerships work, alongside those who have had to shut their doors because state support never materialized. Organizers say they want legislators to walk out with a list of immediate needs that can realistically be tackled when budget negotiations restart.
Numbers underscore urgency
WRAL reports that 47 child-care facilities closed in August 2025 while only 22 opened that same month, and that licensed capacity statewide has fallen by roughly 50% since 2019. The outlet also notes that about 18,000 children are stuck on waitlists for child-care subsidies, a backlog that puts serious strain on working parents and the employers who depend on them. “We need to do a better job providing subsidies to parents in addition to support in the actual facilities,” Sen. Natalie Murdock told WRAL.
Task force lays out reforms
A bipartisan state task force released a year-end report in January that urges creation of a statewide subsidy reimbursement floor, stronger supports for teachers and exploration of an endowment to keep funding more stable, according to reporting by EdNC. The recommendations center on aligning subsidy rates with the true cost of care and expanding non-salary benefits to help retain early childhood workers. Task-force members say the blueprint is intended to guide lawmakers as they put together funding packages this year, so Thursday’s Durham session is arriving right on cue.
Governor urges investment
The governor’s office has backed the task force’s proposals and has repeatedly labeled child care “necessary infrastructure” that allows both families and employers to function, according to a press release from the Office of the Governor. Gov. Josh Stein created the task force by executive order in March 2025, and officials say the group will keep pressing for legislative action. That statewide spotlight helps explain why local roundtables such as Thursday’s are suddenly must-attend events for lawmakers.
Durham’s role and local providers
Kate’s Korner, the downtown Durham center hosting the roundtable, shares its program details and capacity on its website and has become a local hub for child-care partnerships. On Thursday it will host providers who have stayed open thanks to community and institutional backing, alongside others who had to close when those supports ran out. People working in the sector say the policy talk at the General Assembly has to catch up with what families are facing on the ground, where finding a slot can feel like winning a lottery that never quite happens.
What’s next
Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene in sessions that include early April dates, which advocates and officials say creates a tight window for budget choices that could make or break key child-care proposals, according to an update from the North Carolina State Board of Education. The Durham roundtable is designed to funnel specific, on-the-ground recommendations into those talks, and providers say they will be watching closely to see whether state dollars actually follow the ideas now on the table. For the moment, Thursday’s gathering stands as the latest attempt to turn policy reports into real money, real slots and fewer parents stuck on never-ending waitlists.
