Press Releases

This week following Mother’s Day, Congressman Wiley Nickel (NC-13) hosted a roundtable in Garner with Wake County officials and community leaders. He discussed the importance of family-friendly policies, current gaps in the system, and announced the introduction of the Helping Our Parents Enroll (HOPE) in Child Care Act.

Child care and early education are crucial for helping children grow and allowing parents to work. However, North Carolina families often struggle to find and afford quality care, and providers face high costs and staff shortages. The system is complicated, and many parents are overwhelmed when trying to find the right care for their kids.

The Helping Our Parents Enroll (HOPE) in Child Care Act would help to address this by offering discretionary grants to states, counties, unions, and non-profit organizations to provide working parents with free, easy-to-access help navigating the complex landscape of child care options to find care that meets their family needs. The bill ensures that services are offered in multiple languages and establishes protections against discrimination, making it accessible to all families regardless of background. 

To spread the word and maximize reach, this bill supports community-based education efforts. These initiatives are culturally competent and aim to ensure that every family, especially those in underserved areas, knows about the resources available to them.

Congressman Nickel was joined at the roundtable by Wake County Commissioner Tara Waters and community leaders from Drop Zone Drop-in Childcare Center, Raleigh Nursery School, NC Child, North Carolina Early Education Coalition, NC Division of Child Development and Early Education, and Wake Smart Start. 

“The system is complicated, and many parents are overwhelmed when trying to find the right care for their kids. We need to work together to increase funding, make it easier for families to access care, and support providers so that every child gets a strong start in life,” said Congressman Wiley Nickel. “I’m proud to introduce the Helping Our Parents Enroll (HOPE) in Child Care Act to provide working parents with free, easy-to-access help navigating the complex landscape of child care options to find care that meets their family needs. By offering streamlined access to child care information, the HOPE in Child Care Act will help empower parents to make the best choices for their children.”

Photos from Congressman Nickel’s Mother’s Day Child Care Roundtable can be found HERE.

Full text of the Helping Our Parents Enroll (HOPE) in Child Care Act can be found HERE. 

A one pager of the Helping Our Parents Enroll (HOPE) in Child Care Act can be found HERE.