At It Takes a Village Childcare Center, we’ve proudly served our community since 2001 — nurturing children with love, structure, and the comfort of a home away from home. As a licensed in-home childcare provider, we offer personalized, high-quality care that helps children grow emotionally, socially, and academically. But today, providers like us face growing uncertainty — especially in North Carolina.

Currently, childcare stabilization grants are on hold statewide due to gridlock between the administration and legislature. No agreement has been made on how much funding is available or how many providers — and children — it will support. This delay puts extra pressure on small programs like ours, where every dollar counts.

We participate in Child Nutrition under the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) to help cover meal costs. Reimbursements are delayed, and the amounts rarely reflect the true cost of providing nutritious meals to growing children every day.

On top of financial strain, we navigate strict and often conflicting regulations that make it harder to meet families’ needs. For example, North Carolina licensing allows us to care for up to 8 children at a time — 5 preschool-age and 3 school-age. But this simple breakdown becomes complicated quickly.

Let’s say a child joins us at 3 years old. When they turn 4 and enroll in Pre-K, many parents consider them “school age” — especially in Mecklenburg County, where public Pre-K accepts children at age 4. However, the State of North Carolina doesn’t officially count a child as “school age” until the first day of kindergarten. So even if that child is enrolled in school, they still count toward our preschool limit, not our school-age limit — potentially placing us out of compliance despite no change in care or development.

These gaps and inconsistencies make it harder for small, in-home providers to operate — and to continue offering the personalized, family-rooted care that centers like ours are known for.

But with your support, we can keep going.

Your donation helps us:

Provide healthy daily meals for every child
Purchase curriculum materials and supplies
Cover daily operating costs during uncertain funding times

You’re not just donating to a childcare center — you’re investing in the next generation and helping a trusted community resource stay strong.

It truly takes a village — and we’re so glad you’re part of ours.

Nourish Their Day, Empower Their Future: Support It Takes a Village Childcare

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