North Carolina invests in fast-track training to combat child care worker shortages, center closures

North Carolina invests in fast-track training to combat child care worker shortages, center closures

By Jennifer Fernandez Key Takeaways: Low wages continue to drive workforce shortages in child care. To address staffing issues, the General Assembly is spending money to expand free child care worker training academies statewide. Part of that funding will pay retention stipends for academy graduates who stay employed for at least one year. About a week after finishing the Early Childhood Workforce Ready Academy in Wayne County, Dominque McBrid…