HBCC Community of Practice + HAVEN Leadership Cohort
Home-based child care providers are essential to North Carolina’s care economy—supporting families, nurturing young children, and strengthening communities every day. Yet too often, their leadership, expertise, and lived experience go unseen and under-resourced.
At MDC, we are proud to support home-based child care (HBCC) providers and the networks that serve them through our Home-Based Child Care Community of Practice (CoP) and HAVEN Leadership Cohort—two complementary efforts rooted in shared learning, collaboration, and systems change.
Together, these initiatives reflect MDC’s commitment to advancing equity, strengthening leadership, and building inclusive systems that work for providers, families, and communities across North Carolina.
Home-Based Child Care Community of Practice (CoP)
The Home-Based Child Care Community of Practice brings together eight HBCC provider networks from across North Carolina to learn from one another, collaborate across regions, and collectively advance change.
The CoP was launched in Spring 2023, supported by partners including Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation and Home Grown, and grounded in a shared belief: those closest to the work are best positioned to shape solutions.
Purpose of the CoP
The CoP exists to:
- Increase shared learning and peer support among HBCC networks
- Strengthen how networks support local home-based providers in their communities
- Identify opportunities for systems-level change that advance equity and inclusion
- Elevate provider voices in policy, practice, and decision-making spaces
Together, CoP members are working toward a North Star: an equitable, inclusive home-based child care system where providers are valued, supported, and able to thrive—and where families have access to high-quality, culturally responsive care.
Participating HBCC Networks
MDC is honored to collaborate with the following Home-Based Child Care networks across North Carolina. Each organization brings deep community knowledge, trusted relationships, and a shared commitment to supporting providers and families.
- Charlotte Bilingual Preschool: Supporting bilingual and multicultural early learning environments for children and families.
- Children’s Council of Watauga County: Strengthening early childhood systems and expanding access to quality care in Watauga County.
- Colaborativa La Milpa: Building community-driven solutions that uplift Latinx families and caregivers.
- Families First of Cabarrus County: Advancing family well-being through early education, parenting support, and community partnerships.
- Family Child Care and Center Enrichment Foundation (FCCEF): Supporting both family child care homes and centers through training, resources, and advocacy.
- Imprints Cares: Providing comprehensive early childhood and family support services across the region.
- Smart Start of Transylvania County: Strengthening early childhood systems to ensure young children are healthy and ready to learn.
- Superlative Academy: Empowering providers and families through education, leadership, and community-centered care.
HAVEN: Home-Based Provider Leadership Cohort
HAVEN was created as a leadership and advocacy space designed by and for home-based child care providers and caregivers across North Carolina.
Inspired by the Home Grown National Leading From Home Cohort, HAVEN offers providers a safe, supportive environment to strengthen leadership skills, build advocacy power, and connect with peers navigating similar challenges within North Carolina’s child care system.
About the HAVEN Program
The first HAVEN cohort, HAVEN 1.0, included eight remarkable providers and caregivers from across the state. Over the course of a two-year cohort, participants received:
- Mentorship from experienced child care leaders
- One-on-one coaching with Program Manager Laterria Lassiter
- Learning opportunities focused on digital tools, North Carolina’s child care and legislative systems, and advocacy
- A stipend recognizing their time, expertise, and leadership
- HAVEN participants completed the program with clear, actionable goals for continuing to shape the child care system—starting in their homes, strengthening their communities, and stepping confidently into their roles as leaders and advocates.
HAVEN Program Goals
HAVEN is designed to:
- Invest in and strengthen provider leaders’ ability to influence policy and decision-making
- Support providers in growing local networks of caregivers and families
- Build an inclusive community of leaders representing both
- Licensed Family Child Care (FCC) providers, and
- License-exempt Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) caregivers
MDC is honored to walk alongside these providers and deeply grateful for the care, stability, and school-readiness support they provide to families across North Carolina.
Celebrating HAVEN 1.0: Graduation & Ceremony
Home-based child care providers are among the hardest-working caregivers in our communities. While recognized as essential workers, many continue to earn below a livable wage, meet the regulatory standards of commercial businesses, and face limited access to long-term financial security or health benefits.
MDC is committed to changing that narrative—by lifting up provider leadership, visibility, and voice.
At the end of the summer, HAVEN providers were celebrated at an event honoring their contributions to North Carolina’s child care system. The first HAVEN cohort concluded in October 2025, marking a powerful milestone for the providers and for the future of home-based child care leadership in North Carolina.