For families, childcare costs as much as housing and sometimes more. People who want to work find that after paying for child care there is little to nothing left in their paychecks for rent, gas or food. I see too many parents struggling with this problem everyday.

Meanwhile, decades of research show how high quality early childhood education sets children up for success in school and in life. Kids who have been to a strong preschool enter kindergarten ready to read and more likely to do well from day one. There is an social and economic benefit to enrolling as many children as possible in high quality early childhood education programs.

The high cost of good child care is a cornerstone economic issue for working families in Rowan County. I want to know what candidates for the N.C. House and Senate will do about it. Will they ensure that our state’s early childhood programs are available to hardworking families? Or will they simply shrug and let this opportunity go by — missing the chance to get in on the best investment they could make for our state?

— Betsy Webster

Mount Ulla