Support That Helps Duke Families Flourish

Through the Duke Child Care Partnership, families find trusted care that helps parents and kids

A father and his two children.
One of the highlights of James Lambert’s day is picking up his children. Lambert is with his daughter, Rosemary, left, and his son, Sammy, right. Photo by Travis Stanley.

Each day, when James Lambert picks up his 3-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter from Durham’s Early Start Academy, he looks forward to hearing a recap of the day’s events.

His son, Sammy, is especially eager when he comes home to share the day’s adventures with his teachers and games with friends.

“He’s always running around and doing something,” said Lambert, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs at Duke University School of Law.

The Lamberts feel fortunate to have found a day care provider near Duke’s campus through the Duke Child Care Partnership, a resource designed to help students and Duke University and Duke University Health System staff and faculty find participating child care providers.

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“It’s a big help for Duke employees,” said Lambert, who, along with his wife Sarah, started searching for day care before Sammy was born. “Before we found out about this program, we were looking at other day cares and struggling to find a spot. Priority waitlist enrollment made a big difference.”

Duke Human Resources launched the Duke Child Care Partnership in 2003 to address the shortage for high quality child care for Duke families. The partnership is currently a network of around 40 day care providers in Durham, Orange, Wake and Granville Counties with four- or five-star ratings from the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services.

Participating providers give Duke students, staff and faculty priority placement for openings and waiting lists. Many providers offer waived or reduced registration fees, or discounts on tuition. Roughly 500 families were helped by the Duke Child Care Partnership in 2025.

“As our employees grow in their careers and take on new opportunities, we recognize that their families are growing, too,” said Antwan Lofton, Duke Vice President for Human Resources. “Helping them find child care in the community makes a real difference. They can go to work knowing their loved ones are in good hands.”

Eligible Duke employees can also enroll in a Dependent Care Reimbursement Account to set aside pre- tax money to pay for child care expenses.

By helping the Lamberts find Early Start Academy, which was the perfect fit for their needs, the Duke Child Care Partnership ensured plenty of fun-filled days for Sammy and Rosemary, and entertaining conversations.

“They take great care of our kids,” Lambert said. “Everyone in the building seems to know them, even if they’re not in their classroom. They just seem to keep them very safe and happy.”

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