What Is the Family, Friend & Neighbor Initiative — And Why It Changes Everything for NC Children

The Gap No One Is Talking About

Every month, thousands of children are born in North Carolina. Every month, the gap between available licensed childcare slots and the children who need them widens. The math is stark: there are simply not enough licensed facilities to care for the volume of children ages 0–5 in our communities.

But here is what the data also shows: nearly 93% of North Carolina parents surveyed in 2025 said that home-based care — provided by a family member, friend, or neighbor — is their first choice. Not a compromise. Not a last resort. Their first choice. These are grandmothers, aunts, trusted neighbors, and community members who provide culturally connected, relationally secure care that no institutional setting can fully replicate.

The First 1,500 Days: Why This Window Is Everything

From birth through age 4 — approximately 1,500 days — a child's brain develops at a pace it will never again achieve. Neural pathways are formed. Attachment patterns are established. Language acquisition begins. Self-regulation develops. The quality of care a child receives during this window doesn't just affect their kindergarten readiness. It affects their health, their economic trajectory, and their capacity for relationship for the rest of their life.

This is why LVCM CDC's Family, Friend & Neighbor (FFN) Initiative focuses so directly on these 1,500 days. Not because we believe FFN caregivers are doing it wrong — the research shows they are doing extraordinary things. But because they are doing it largely without support, training, resources, or recognition.

What LVCM CDC's FFN Initiative Does

LVCM CDC's FFN Initiative builds a support ecosystem around the caregivers who are already showing up for children every day. Our model includes:

• Training and professional development for FFN caregivers — delivered where they are, in accessible formats, in their language

• Connection to developmental screenings, health resources, and early literacy tools through the Health in the Streets ecosystem

• Peer networks that reduce isolation and build community among caregivers

• Trauma-informed care frameworks that help caregivers support children who have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

• Kindergarten readiness preparation integrated into daily caregiving routines

The Systems Change Connection

The FFN Initiative is not a standalone program. It is a node in LVCM CDC's integrated systems change ecosystem — connected to Church in the Streets, Health in the Streets, and the Neighbor Up community development platform. A child being cared for by their grandmother in a GHA community in Greensboro is connected, through this network, to health screenings, developmental resources, Medicaid enrollment support, and a faith community that sees and values her role.

Systems change begins at birth. LVCM CDC is building the infrastructure that makes sure the first 1,500 days of a child's life are not left to chance — no matter where they are being loved.

Get Involved

Are you an FFN caregiver in Winston-Salem or Greensboro? Are you an organization that works with young children and families? Are you a funder interested in the intersection of early childhood development, health equity, and systems change? We want to connect with you. Reach out to LVCM CDC at info@lvcmcdc.org or visit our contact page.