Buncombe County committee narrows focused investment priorities, puts infant-toddler slots and workforce pay at top

The Buncombe County Early Childhood Committee on June 2 advanced a narrowed list of six candidate funding priorities and asked staff to scope program designs, costs and evaluation plans to return for further decisions this summer and fall. Rachel, a Buncombe County staff member leading the project, told the group the committee would use the next six months to refine options and bring costed proposals back to the committee before final recommendations to the Board of Commissioners.

The move centers on three immediate priorities members ranked highest in a recent survey: expanding infant and toddler slots, supplementing teacher and staff compensation, and funding workforce-development programs. "I think we're in great shape as a result of the work the committee did at your workshop last month," Rachel said, summarizing the team's view that the project was ready to enter a scoping phase.

Why it matters: Committee members framed the goals around both child development and labor-market participation — seeking "accessible, high-quality" early care delivered by "well-prepared and adequately compensated educators" that prioritizes families with the greatest need. Members underscored that any local investments must be designed so they do not unintentionally replace or undermine state or federal subsidy programs.

Design questions staff will scope: The committee asked staff to return with concrete, costed design options that address (1) whom local dollars should serve (e.g., bridging subsidy gaps for families already in the state/federal system vs. subsidizing new slots for families not eligible for CCDF), (2) how funds should flow (provider-directed slot subsidies, direct staff supplements or multi-year workforce grants), (3) geographic distribution across the county, and (4) evaluation metrics and multi-year award structures.

Dan, the meeting facilitator, cautioned about realistic targeting of middle-income households, noting limits in the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF): "The federal subsidy is limited to low-income families and in practice reaches a small share of eligible households," he said, urging the committee to be cautious about promising coverage the fund cannot deliver.

Staff gave estimated scale examples and constraints. They described the infant/toddler slots strategy as high-cost, potentially organized through a request-for-proposals to contract a provider to operate classrooms with illustrative investments cited in the meeting in the $1 million–$1.5 million range. For workforce programs, staff said prior local investments summed to roughly $800,000 for several programs; supplemental compensation concepts referenced existing Smart Start and NC Pre-K mechanisms as examples of how wage supports have been structured.

Committee members recommended integration: Several members urged pairing slot investments with targeted workforce supports — training, retention bonuses and compensation increases — so that expanding access also improves quality and retention. "We could focus our workforce efforts on the teachers of those very same infants and toddlers that we're helping to expand services to," one member said, arguing an integrated approach would make outcomes easier to evaluate.

Public comment underscored urgency: A Head Start representative warned of immediate program contractions, saying the agency has lost "over $590,000 in revenues" in recent years and anticipates a further $252,000 reduction for the coming year, actions that have already led to the loss of more than 150 slots and the likely closure of another classroom if the trend continues. The speaker said Head Start still plans to serve about 370 children but urged committee consideration of strategies that preserve slots and teacher compensation.

Next steps and timeline: Staff will survey funded and unfunded community providers, host a virtual grantee session in August, and bring back costed scoping options for the committee to consider toward a December narrowing and potential awards in early 2027. The committee's next meeting was announced for August 4 (virtual).