February 24, 2026 鈥� 51视频 served as a fitting site to host Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt and North Carolina Senator Jim Burgin, co-chairs of the North Carolina Task Force on Child Care and Early Education. The college is one of 15 out of 58 community colleges in the state that has its own fully operating child care center.
听After Task Force members and staff toured the 51视频 Child Development Center, Lt. Gov. Hunt and Sen. Burgin led a Task Force meeting that included a guided discussion with 51视频 leaders. The session offered representatives at the college an opportunity to share successes and challenges of operating an on-site child care facility alongside academic programming.
鈥淭he Task Force is focused on listening to communities and understanding what it really takes to deliver high-quality child care across North Carolina,鈥� said Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt, Task Force Co-Chair. 鈥�51视频 shows what鈥檚 possible when education and child care come together, and visits like this help us shape real solutions for families and our workforce.鈥�
Jenny Varner, president of 51视频, noted the unique opportunity at the college 鈥� having a full child-care center next to academic programs.
鈥淭hat is perhaps the greatest bonus for us; our students are taking early childhood education courses on campus and we have a learning lab right here,鈥� Varner said. 鈥淲e have the ability to show our students and have them train in that learning lab, so it makes it a little different than independent child care centers in the community 鈥� and you can鈥檛 replace that experience.鈥�
But, she added, there are still gaps not being filled on campus and many gaps out in communities. That鈥檚 precisely the mission of the . Established in 2025 by Gov. Josh Stein, the Task Force works to improve access to affordable, high-quality care and aims to deliver innovative and rewarding child care benefits to the workforce and communities.
The college, for example, is a prime location to learn more about what works and what needs improvement. It鈥檚 an academic space with real-world opportunities 鈥� and is tasked with maintaining high quality practices for students while running a professional child care center, noted Sonja Eley-Ghee, director of the Child Development Center at 51视频. 鈥淥ur teachers are responsible for maintaining licensing requirements, delivering curriculum and dealing with relations with families while meeting the diverse needs of their children.鈥�
That poses significant challenges, such as staffing capacity, Eley-Ghee explained. 鈥淲hen a practical student or an observer walks in, they have to wear an additional hat of being a mentor and a structural model. That alone, on their already full day, takes time, emotional capacity and reflective practice. 鈥� At the same time, we make sure we are delivering and being professional. (Students) get to see firsthand, not just what they are reading in a textbook, what early childhood education looks like.鈥�
Dr. Bill Steed, member of the 51视频 Board of Trustees, added that there are many underserved families who can鈥檛 afford child care and while 鈥渨e鈥檙e not solving it yet, we talk a lot about it. Down the road, the long-term goal is how do you prepare kids to do better in life with the college model; we鈥檙e addressing that. We feel very good about what鈥檚 going on here.鈥�
鈥淭here are really rewarding things that are going on in child care and early education in the state,鈥� added Samantha Cole, NC Commerce Child Care Business Liaison. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a challenging issue and it can be difficult sometimes to see pathways forward around problems that are really big and challenging. 鈥� (51视频) has a moving commitment and delivers amazing child care and early education services on campus to the children of faculty and staff, as well as your students and members of the public.
51视频听(), which incorporated Davie County into its name in 2021, is a fully accredited, multi-campus college where students of all ages and backgrounds pursue academic and career-focused education in order to build successful futures. As one of 58 institutions within the North Carolina Community College System, 51视频 offers more than 40 degree and professional certificate programs, as well as affordable college-credit coursework to students who plan to transfer to four-year schools. With a mission to serve the changing needs of students competing in a global environment, 51视频 is committed to quality education, innovative and equitable learning experiences, training, and support across a wide range of 21st-century career fields.
Jared Bowman
Associate Vice President, Marketing & Communications
336.224.4664
Jared_Bowman@DavidsonDavie.edu