MDC Sponsors Early Childhood Blueprint Summit to Advance Child Care Solutions in North Carolina

MDC is proud to be a sponsor of the Early Childhood Blueprint Summit, a statewide convening on April 23, 2026, in Winston-Salem that brings together early childhood leaders, policymakers, business leaders, and advocates to strengthen systems that support children and families across North Carolina.

This inaugural summit is designed to align policy, practice, and community action—highlighting solutions that expand access to high-quality child care, support providers, and strengthen our workforce and economy.

👉 For more info and to REGISTER now: www.earlychildhoodblueprint.org

What to Expect

• Keynote from nationally recognized leader Erin Ramsey
• Breakout sessions on:
  • High-Quality Pre-K
  • Early Intervention
  • Family, Friend & Neighbor Care
• Cross-sector networking and actionable advocacy tools

Participants will leave with practical strategies and resources to advance policies that improve outcomes for children and families statewide .

Event Details

• Date: April 23, 2026
• Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Location: Winston-Salem State University (Albert H. Anderson Jr. Conference Center)
• Cost: $25 (free for students and early childhood providers, stipends available for Triad ($150) and State ($250) FFN and FCC providers)
• Child care available for attendees

👉 Register now: www.earlychildhoodblueprint.org

The summit is hosted by Forsyth County ECE coalitions including: The Pre-K Priority, Family, Friend & Neighbor Child Care Alliance (Forsyth County FFN Steering Committee), BKE Department, Winston-Salem State University (Birth to Kindergarten Education Dept) and sponsored by: Imprints Cares, Kaplan Early Learning Company, Kate B Reynolds Charitable Trust, MDC, Inc. and Trust for Learning.

Take Action Beyond the Summit

This work doesn’t stop at the event. MDC encourages you to take action to strengthen North Carolina’s child care system:

• Share the case for a child care subsidy floor
• Submit your story
• Write a letter to the editor
• Join the statewide advocacy campaign

Access tools and resources HERE.