Some child care providers in the Triangle and across the country will shut their doors, call out sick or close down early Monday to participate in the national "Day Without Child Care" movement.
Child care workers and families will rally beginning at 10 a.m. at Edenton Street United Methodist Church in downtown Raleigh to call for investment in the child care system. Another rally will be held in Charlotte.
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Organizers explain holding one day without child care services is a powerful way to get people's attention.
"If we close for one day, it ensures that we can have longevity and a sustainable system well into the future," said Stephanie Smith with the National Domestic Workers Alliance. "If we put it off, ignoring these issues, the challenges that providers and families face, then we're going to continue to be in this cycle where the system really is not working for anyone."
The "Day Without Child Care" has been recognized for four years. Ultimately, organizers say, the effort is about advocating for equitable policies and reimbursement for child care facilities, including rates that reflect the actual cost of providing care and ensuring support for those who work in the child care field.
Event organizers told WRAL News roughly 104 child care programs across North Carolina, including 66 family child care homes and 38 child care centers, are participating. Some of the cities and counties involved include Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Raleigh and Durham.
In March, Gov. Josh Stein announced a new child care and early childhood education task force dedicated to tackling North Carolina's child care crisis. The task force aims to examine policies and solutions with a goal to expand affordable, quality child care.
Stein said the average cost for infant care in North Carolina is $12,000 -- more than tuition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The state says child care should cost only 7% of a family's income, but 4 in 5 families have to pay more than that, the governor said.
The child care crisis goes beyond affordability to accessibility. There is only one one child care slot for every five families in need of care, the governor said, and many expecting families jump on child care waitlists before their children are born to guarantee a slot.
Although the cost to families is high, child care workers are underpaid, with an average hourly wage of $10.73 paid to North Carolina's child care workers.
Policy demands in North Carolina include a $60 million pilot program to provide child care access for providers' own children.