Here are three NC Childhood Membership programs you should know about as an NC Early Childhood Professional. 

NC Early Childhood Association (NCECA)

Originally the NC Day Care Association, The NC Early Childhood association strives to improve the quality of childcare in NC. One original goal of the Association was to get the NC legislature to pass mandatory license, and in 1971 their efforts paid off. In 1971 with the help of the NCECA and other child care advocates, the NC General Assembly enacted a mandatory licensing law for child care facilities. The law was aimed at providing a safer environment for children in child care facilities. Learn more here.

NC Association for the Education of Young Children (NCAEYC)

The NCAEYC is a state extension of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).The organization as a whole has 10,000 members with 3,000 of those members being members of the North Carolina Chapter. The NCAEYC focuses on improving the well-being of children ages eight and under by focusing on the quality of educational and developmental services for children. They offer things like the opportunity to network and connect, access to valuable research, and professional development opportunities. Learn more here.

NC Childcare Coalition

The NC Childcare coalition advocates for the advancement and affordability of care for young children, their families, and their communities. One of the features they have is The NC Childcare Coalition Action Center. It's a quick and easy way to spread the word about early education issues among friends,family, media sources, and state policy makers. In 2015, as a result of the coalition and it's participants, policy makers increased the fund to NC Pre-K and Childcare subsidies and improved subsidy child care rates. This provided greater access to quality childcare for families in NC.  Learn more here .