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.

Start Learning.

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.

Learn More

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

Learn more

St. Louis Case Study

City Property Tax

Learn more

Buncombe County, NC Case Study

Occupancy Tax

Learn more

Seattle Case Study

Property Tax Referendum

Learn more

Petal, MS Case Study

Property Taxes & County/School District Funding

Learn More

Wake County, NC Case Study

Line Item in County Budget

Learn More

San Antonio Case Study

Sales Tax Referendum

Learn More

Aspen Case Study

Sales Tax Referendum

Learn More

Salt Lake City Case Study

Social Impact Bond

Learn More

Miami - Dade Case Study

Property Tax Referendum

Learn More

In the News

Multnomah County expands ‘Preschool for All’ program

In Oregon, Multnomah County recently announced that its "Preschool for All" program is growing this year, with leaders announcing that 3,800 children will be served through the free education initiative in the next school year. It's a significant increase from the...

MECK Pre-K growing and seeing early enrollment increase

MECK Pre-K, the high quality pre-K education open to all four-year-old children in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina at no cost to families is reporting growth and increase in early enrollment this year. The Meck Pre-K program says attendance has more than tripled...

With high U.S. childcare costs, local voters fill funding gap

As U.S. federal funding pandemic aid for childcare runs out, communities are backing local solutions and ballot measures. A lack of affordable childcare takes a huge toll on individual families and the broader economy as well. Local ballot measures have become an...

Read more . . .

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.

Advisory Council

Authors

Contributors