ECFC’s Fall 2026 Member Meeting will take us to North Carolina to explore lessons from more than 30 years of early childhood system-building across a politically diverse Southern state. As a state marked by significant regional differences, rapid rural population growth, and longstanding disparities in child and family well-being, North Carolina offers a compelling case study in both progress and contradiction: nationally recognized for business and economic growth while continuing to face persistent challenges in education and family outcomes.

Together, we will examine what is takes to build and sustain cross-sector partnerships in a complex and evolving landscape—including the role of philanthropy, bipartisan leadership, business engagement, and aligned investments in advancing whole-family approaches from prenatal through early childhood. Through candid reflection on both successes and setbacks, participants will explore how leaders across sectors have navigated competing priorities, shifting political dynamics, and uneven systems to create momentum for children and families.

Throughout the meeting, we will explore how funders, advocates, community leaders, and organizations are building collective power, organizing for systems change, leveraging influence, and advancing equitable opportunities for children and families. Through conversations with North Carolina leaders and peers across the ECFC network, participants will reflect on the realities of long-term systems change: the importance of transparency about what has and has not worked, the value of persistent partnership across ideological divides, and the ongoing effort required to move from fragmented strategies toward more connected and equitable approaches that support young children and their families.