Hi all,

First, a huge thank you to everyone who has signed our Change.org petition! We've now reached 11 signatures, and every one of them counts. Your support means we're starting to build the necessary momentum to make a difference for North Carolina families and children.

To truly make our voices heard, we need to significantly grow our numbers. Would you help me get more signatures by sharing this petition with ten other people or on your social media? Facebook groups, SMS chats, X (formerly Twitter), email, Nextdoor, and WhatsApp all work great. The more of us who sign, the harder it will be for our elected officials to ignore our call for action!

I also wanted to share some recent discussions to clarify key aspects of our proposed legislation. Your engagement helps me refine our message and address concerns directly.

Here are some key points from recent conversations:

Clarifying the Bills' Intent: Some questions arose about specific bills.
The NC Parental Bonds Protection Act focuses on parental rights in child-rearing and protection from exploitation in custody cases.

• The NC Minor's Information Online Removal Act (NC-MIORA) empowers parents to request the removal of their children's personal data from websites, aiming to close existing loopholes in federal law.
• The NC Family Partnership in Child Care and Education Act (NC-FPCCE) and its companion, the NC Child Care and Educational Information Standardization Act (NC-CCEIS), are about standardizing child information for safety, health, and empowering parents through streamlined data, filling gaps in current legislation.
• These bills are designed to empower parents and address existing issues, not create new burdens.

NC Parental Bonds Protection Act (NC-PBPA): This bill focuses on affirming fundamental parental rights in child-rearing and protecting families from exploitation in custody cases. If you have specific concerns about how this relates to gender identity or other issues, please message me directly so I can understand your perspective.

A valuable discussion emerged about the NC-FPCCE potentially forcing specific software or imposing new costs, especially for smaller providers. As someone working in data and software, I can confirm this is a misunderstanding of the bill's intent.

The vision is not about mandating specific software products, but about standardizing information and communication processes across the state.

• Inefficiency of Paper: Paper-based systems are largely inefficient, error-prone, and difficult to keep updated. They risk duplicate information, slow emergency responses, and present security vulnerabilities.
• Leveraging Existing Tech: The kind of communication and data sharing NC-FPCCE envisions is already standard practice in most modern daycare centers across NC (using platforms like Brightwheel, Procare, Lillio/HiMama, Tadpoles). NC schools are also already deeply invested in digital systems like Infinite Campus and communication platforms like ParentSquare, Remind, and TalkingPoints. Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Pender County Schools are great examples of districts already using robust digital tools to foster parent-teacher collaboration. North Carolina public schools are already completing a two-year transition process to a new statewide SIS vendor, Infinite Campus. 
• No New Data; Better Access to Existing Data: Schools are already required to keep digital records under North Carolina General Statutes and DPI guidelines, with strong emphasis on privacy and security (like FERPA). Our bills support and expand on these existing requirements. The goal is to ensure all schools and childcare providers effectively utilize or adopt similar secure, transparent digital methods for consistent parent-provider partnership, moving away from outdated paper trails.

This initiative is about modernizing how we share information to benefit families and educators by leveraging existing technology, not imposing new, unnecessary burdens or creating new data. It ensures secure, transparent, and responsive systems that empower parents and support schools.

Thank you again for supporting this crucial cause. Your voice matters, and by sharing this petition, you help amplify it.

Sincerely,

Joshua Ledford