Family Forward NC is an innovative initiative to improve children’s health and well-being and keep North Carolina’s businesses competitive. It is employer-led change to increase access to research-based, family-friendly practices — big and small — that improve workplace productivity, recruitment and retention; grow a strong economy; and support children’s healthy development.
Business Smart.
Family-friendly workplaces have a strong competitive advantage.
Family Friendly.
The benefits of family-friendly workplaces are numerous and long-lasting.
Future Ready.
To prepare our future workforce for success, we have to start in early childhood.
Families Have Changed.
But workplaces haven’t.


Seventy-five percent of US mothers and fifty percent of US fathers say they’ve passed up work opportunities, switched jobs, or quit to care for their children.Footnote # 1
Family Forward in Action
Building Strong and Resilient Rural Businesses, Families, and Communities
Small businesses are an important and growing sector of employers, especially in NC’s rural communities. Their success rests on their ability to recruit and retain workers. That’s why Lisa Finaldi…
Family Forward NC Announces First Group of Certified Employers
Certified Employers Represent More Than 600 Employees in Communities Across NC The North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation (NCECF) today announced the first 15 employers — who collectively represent more than…
New Report: Family-Friendly Workplaces Help Retain and Return Workers
A new report by the International Economic Development Council about how economic development professionals can reduce barriers to work and bring people back to the workforce features Family Forward NC…