North Carolina SB 412: Childcare Subsidy Rate Increase and West Pilot.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 412

Short Title: Childcare Subsidy Rate Increase & West Pilot. (Public)
Sponsors: Senator Hise (Primary Sponsor).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 25, 2025
*S412-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO INCREASE CHILD CARE SUBSIDY RATES AND TO ESTABLISH A PILOT 2
PROGRAM TO BUILD CHILD CARE CAPACITY IN AREAS IMPACTED BY 3
HURRICANE HELENE. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1.(a) Beginning July 1, 2025, the Department of Health and Human 6
Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education, shall increase the child care 7
subsidy market rates to the seventy-fifth percentile as recommended by the 2023 Child Care 8
Market Rate Study for children in child care centers and homes with a rating of one to five stars. 9
SECTION 1.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 10
Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (Division), the 11
sum of one hundred twenty-three million five hundred thousand dollars ($123,500,000) in 12
recurring funds for each year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to implement the market rate 13
increases set forth in subsection (a) of this section. When the Division implements the market 14
rate increases under this section, the Division shall (i) add ten percent (10%) to be incorporated 15
into each adjusted rate for a rural county and (ii) add ten percent (10%) to be incorporated into 16
each adjusted rate for infants and toddlers (birth to 3 years of age). For purposes of this section, 17
"rural county" means a county with an average population density of 250 people per square mile 18
or less, as classified by the North Carolina Rural Center. 19
SECTION 2.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the councils of 20
governments in the regions designated in subsection (b) of this section the sum of eight million 21
dollars ($8,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to establish a two-year 22
pilot program coordinated by those councils of governments to build child care capacity in areas 23
impacted by Hurricane Helene. The councils of governments may only use the monies in their 24
member counties in the affected area, as defined in Section 1A.4 of S.L. 2024-57, that qualify 25
for Federal Emergency Management Agency Individual Assistance and Public Assistance 26
Categories A through G. Each designated council of governments shall issue a request for 27
application (RFA) for a vendor to contract with the respective council of governments to 28
administer the pilot program, and each vendor selected shall have experience providing support 29
and assistance to early child care providers. To receive funds, the vendor shall partner with the 30
councils of governments in the respective designated regions to (i) increase the supply of child 31
care programs by recruiting and coaching prospective child care providers through the initial 32
business planning and implementation process and (ii) ensure sustainability by executing a 33
two-year mentorship program for the new child care programs created pursuant to this section. 34
SECTION 2.(b) Funds provided under this section shall be allocated based on 35
population of children under 5 years of age in the councils of governments' regions as follows: 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 412-First Edition
(1) One million five hundred forty thousand dollars ($1,540,000) to the Foothills 1
Regional Commission. 2
(2) One million nine hundred thousand dollars ($1,900,000) to the Land of Sky 3
Regional Council. 4
(3) One million three hundred ninety thousand dollars ($1,390,000) to the High 5
Country Council of Governments. 6
(4) One million three hundred thirty thousand dollars ($1,330,000) to the 7
Southwestern Commission Council of Governments. 8
(5) One million eight hundred forty thousand dollars ($1,840,000) to the Western 9
Piedmont Council of Governments. 10
SECTION 2.(c) The councils of governments participating in the pilot program may 11
use (i) a portion of these funds for additional solutions provided by the vendor within the early 12
childhood education space to meet localized needs and in support of recovery, rehabilitation, and 13
ongoing needs of their member communities and (ii) up to two percent (2%) of the funds 14
allocated to the respective council of governments under this act for administrative costs. 15
SECTION 2.(d) The councils of governments participating in the pilot program shall 16
submit an initial progress report by January 1, 2026, and additional progress reports every six 17
months thereafter for the duration of the pilot program to the Joint Legislative Oversight 18
Committee on Health and Human Services and the Fiscal Research Division. The reports shall 19
include, at a minimum, the following: 20
(1) The number of child care programs created through the pilot program, by 21
county