Local Funding for Early Learning: A Community Toolkit

Local communities are powerful agents of change. Across the nation, towns, cities and counties are serving as hubs of innovation when it comes to early learning. In NC, early childhood investments have typically been funded with federal, state and lottery dollars. Local revenue streams offer another means to expand early learning in communities. This toolkit provides a first step in understanding local opportunities.

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Local Government 101

How local governments are organized, their responsibilities and areas of authority, how they interact and how the local budget process works.

Existing Funding Streams

Current federal and state sources of early childhood funding and how funding is maximized through blending and braiding.

Local Funding Options

Local funding options, including a description of the funding structure, who pays, who collects the funds and how funds are used.

Case Studies

Profiles of some of the best examples of local early childhood initiatives across the country, including the steps taken and the challenges and opportunities faced.

Readiness Tools

Lessons from communities engaged in local financing efforts and tools to determine your readiness and begin planning to build support.

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Online tools to support initiatives for financing early childhood education.

“Communities are hungry for better ways to meet the needs of their children. There is a dearth of information on how to grow your resources locally. This toolkit provides such an excellent guide to those who care about North Carolina children. I wish every state had one! In the child and youth field we need to get better at understanding the flow of resources, the tax and budget process, and creative financing mechanisms in order to be more effective.”

Elizabeth Gaines, Senior Fellow, The Forum for Youth Investment

“I don’t often see this level of quality work – so you are to be congratulated for the accomplishment.  And as President of the UNC School of Government Foundation, I am really pleased to see you using the great resources of the institution that gave me my start in public service.”

Ed Kitchen, VP and COO of the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation of Greater Greensboro

“If your community is considering locally expanding early care and education services, the toolkit and workshop supplied by NCECF and the Budget and Tax Center is essential to your planning. Please take advantage of these wonderful resources. It will move the discussion forward!”

Jennie Eblen, Co-Chair, Asheville Buncombe Preschool Planning Collaborative

On the training that accompanies the toolkit: “Today was a great combination of usable, accurate and contextual facts blended in with focus on how to enact change with that data. Thanks for keeping us on task and bringing this opportunity to us all.”

David Jackson, President and CEO, Boone, NC Area Chamber of Commerce

Multnomah County Case Study

Income Tax Levy

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St. Louis Case Study

City Property Tax

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Buncombe County, NC Case Study

Occupancy Tax

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Seattle Case Study

Property Tax Referendum

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Petal, MS Case Study

Property Taxes & County/School District Funding

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Wake County, NC Case Study

Line Item in County Budget

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San Antonio Case Study

Sales Tax Referendum

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Aspen Case Study

Sales Tax Referendum

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Salt Lake City Case Study

Social Impact Bond

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Miami - Dade Case Study

Property Tax Referendum

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In the News

MECK Pre-K Reaches Record Enrollment for 2025-2026 School Year

Earlier this month, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina announced MECK Pre-K, the county's public pre-K program open to all 4 year-olds, has reached record enrollment. For the 2024-2025 school year, MECK Pre-K graduated 1,755 children across the community and 1,830...

50,000 Letters Saved Multnomah County’s Preschool for All

The Oregon State Legislature recently attempted to overturn Multnomah County's Preschool for All.  A bill was introduced that would have sunsetted the program in two years, barring the county from collecting income tax to fund Preschool for All.  In 2020, voters...

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It Takes a Community

The tools and resources included in this toolkit are the result of countless conversations and working group sessions. We are grateful for their commitment to young children and their willingness to contribute their time and expertise to this project.

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