Item:
Title
Early Childhood Action Plan and Durham PreK Update (40mins)
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: May 4, 2026
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to receive and discuss an annual update on County early childhood initiatives and the impact in Durham County.
This annual update is centered on the County’s commitment to nurturing the youngest members of our community through the collective efforts of Durham’s Early Childhood Action Plan (ECAP). ECAP, developed through a three-year process led by the community-based Grown in Durham Steering Committee, reflects community strengths, challenges and opportunities.
This update shares recent implementation of this plan to support early childhood initiatives that align with the priorities from the ECAP. This includes helping families meet basic needs, supporting early literacy and early relational health, and supporting maternal and infant health. ECAP implementation funds have also been used to support service navigation for parents and caregivers to connect with resources, and support and promotion of family-friendly businesses. Finally, ECAP funds are supporting community based participatory research to inform community partners and policy makers about the needs of young children and their adults. Local efforts are aligned with the updated state Early Childhood Action Plan (ECAP) and its four priority areas: Healthy Babies, Food Security, Permanent Families for Children in Foster Care, and High-Quality Early Learning. The County partners with varied organizations that implement this work in our community, and the presentation will highlight implementation efforts and impact.
The presentation additionally highlights the County’s work and investment ($8.1 million in 2025-2026) in Durham PreK-through which Durham is moving towards a goal of high-quality universal pre-K for all 4-year-olds, an effort which began and continues as a collaborative model led by Early Years in the fall of 2019 along with other key partners, including Durham’s Partnership for Children (NC Pre-K), Durham Public Schools, and Families and Communities Rising (Head Start). The program is now in its seventh year and uses a braided funding model to maximize the impact of public dollars via a mixed delivery system where children are served both at programs in the public schools, at Head Start, and at private childcare sites. This update is intended to provide a broader perspective on progress and barriers toward universality and elevate system-wide challenges and needs with an opportunity for discussion.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: A robust ecosystem of early childhood programs, including universal Pre-K, aligns with the DCo Forward strategic focus areas of Empowered Community (EC 1a, EC 1b, EC 1c, EC 2a, EC 2c) and Healthy and Inclusive Community (HI 1b, HI 1d, HI 2a, HI 2c).
Resource Persons: Ileana Vink, County Early Childhood Coordinator; Donna Rewalt, County Extension Director.
County Manager’s Recommendation: The County Manager recommends that the Board receive and discuss an annual update on Early Childhood needs and initiatives in Durham County.
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________