SECOND SHIFT · FROM THE FIELD
Wayne County, North Carolina · Early childhood education · Workforce academy
From the reporting archive · Original report: August 19, 2026 · Jennifer Fernandez, North Carolina Health News
Dominque McBride was working for the Wayne County Department of Social Services when she learned about a free training program for child care workers. In February 2024, she completed the two-week Early Childhood Workforce Ready Academy, run by the Partnership for Children of Wayne County, North Carolina Health News reports.
About a week later, she interviewed at Little Bulldogs Academy in Goldsboro, carrying a packet of certifications earned in the academy, including CPR, first aid and playground safety. She left with a job working with 2-year-olds. She has since moved to Action Behavior Center in Clayton, where she works with children on the autism spectrum, and is studying early childhood education with a focus on special education.
“If I had to do it on my own, I think I would have been overwhelmed,” McBride told NC Health News.
The academy has trained more than 100 people over two years with $145,000 in Camber Foundation grants, according to the report. North Carolina has set aside $1.5 million in one-time funding to expand the model statewide, including $500 retention stipends for graduates who are hired within three months and stay a year.
Location Decision takeaway
Child care is workforce infrastructure: when centers can’t staff classrooms, parents can’t take jobs. Short, free programs that bundle required certifications can move people into those roles quickly. The retention stipend is the part worth watching, because turnover is the field’s chronic problem.
Second Shift tells the stories of people building what’s next through new skills, new careers and second chances. From the Field items are curated from credited reporting, with Location Decision’s perspective. Location Decision Originals are independently reported by our team.
Curated by Location Decision. Originally reported by Jennifer Fernandez, North Carolina Health News, August 19, 2026.
This item was sourced and drafted with AI assistance and reviewed under Location Decision’s editorial standards. Second Shift tracks workforce outcomes to inform our broader editorial analysis. All reporting belongs to the credited journalists; read the original story for the full account.