Governor Cooper Visits BBF-Supported Ashe Developmental Day School 
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On July 6, Ashe Developmental Day School in Jefferson, NC proudly welcomed Governor Cooper, Susan Osborne, NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Deputy Secretary of Opportunity and Well-Being, and local Ashe County officials in their show of support for early childhood education and the Building Bright Futures initiative. As part of the visit, Governor Cooper toured several classrooms and spoke with center director, Rebecca Rash, and classroom teachers about the challenges they face and the critical need for statewide support for high-quality early childhood educators. 

Ashe Developmental Day School is a 5-star, inclusive, non-profit center that serves many children with disabilities. It is also one of the five (yes, five!) Partnership of Ashe early child care centers that has signed on to the Building Bright Futures initiative! It currently has seven apprentices who will receive financial support and resources from BBF throughout their apprenticeship. 

Following the site tour, Rebecca Rash, Director of Ashe Developmental Day School, commented to those in attendance about the benefits of the BBF program, stating, “This amazing partnership (with BBF) will help to fill gaps in our budget while opening doors for higher education and incentives for staff. We feel like for the first time our concerns and our needs are being heard.” 

Governor Cooper then spoke, emphasizing the need for building the early childhood workforce through Building Bright Futures and the importance of state and local leadership. He spoke of three advantages, or as he called it, the “Triple Play” of high-quality child care access: the inherent link to a child’s success later in life, the ability for parents to work to support their family, and the success of local businesses that depend on those parents to work.