North Carolina SB 1054: No Child Left Unfed.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 1054

Short Title: No Child Left Unfed. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Chaudhuri and Burgin (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
May 4, 2026
*S1054-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO 2
EXTEND ACCESS TO THE FEDERAL CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM 3
TO CHILD CARE PROVIDERS OPERATING LICENSED CHILD CARE HOMES. 4
Whereas, family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care providers serve a critical role 5
in the child care ecosystem of North Carolina, caring for a significant share of young children, 6
particularly in low-income, rural, and underserved communities; and 7
Whereas, the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), administered by the 8
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the North Carolina Department of Health 9
and Human Services, provides reimbursements for nutritious meals and snacks served to eligible 10
children in qualifying child care settings; and 11
Whereas, legally operating FFN providers are currently excluded from or face 12
significant barriers to participation in CACFP, limiting the nutritional resources available to the 13
children they serve; and 14
Whereas, expanding CACFP access to legally operating FFN providers will improve 15
child nutrition outcomes, support small and informal providers, and reduce child food insecurity 16
in North Carolina; and 17
Whereas, it is the intent of the General Assembly to direct the North Carolina 18
Department of Health and Human Services to take feasible administrative action to achieve this 19
expansion without requiring a lengthy study period, consistent with applicable federal law and 20
USDA requirements; Now, therefore, 21
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 22
SECTION 1. Article 3 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes is amended by adding 23
a new Part to read: 24
"Part 10D. Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) for Child Care Providers. 25
"§ 143B-168.40. CACFP Access for Family, Friend, and Neighbor Child Care Providers. 26
(a) Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this section: 27
(1) CACFP. – The Child and Adult Care Food Program, as authorized under 28
Section 17 of the National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1766, and 29
administered in this State by the Division of Child Development and Early 30
Education (DCDEE) within the Department of Health and Human Services. 31
(2) Family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care provider. – An individual who 32
is legally operating under applicable State law and provides child care, 33
including child care in one of the following settings: 34
a. An operator-occupied private dwelling in which, at any one time, two 35
or less children receive child care. 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 1054-First Edition
b. The home of any child receiving child care if all of the children in child 1
care are related to one another and no more than two additional 2
children are in child care. 3
The term includes individuals providing (i) child care that falls below the 4
threshold requiring licensure under G.S. 110-86(3)b., (ii) arrangements 5
excluded from the definition of child care under G.S. 110-86(2), and (iii) child 6
care holding a license-exempt status recognized by the Department. 7
(b) Requirements. – The Department shall take all feasible administrative action to 8
extend access to CACFP to legally operating FFN child care providers, which action may include, 9
but is not limited to, the following: 10
(1) Identifying and engaging or designating one or more sponsoring organizations 11
capable of administering CACFP reimbursements to FFN providers. 12
(2) Developing or modifying application procedures, training requirements, and 13
record-keeping protocols appropriate to the scale and nature of FFN care 14
settings. 15
(3) Applying for any available federal waivers, pilot programs, or flexibilities that 16
support FFN provider participation in CACFP. 17
(4) Establishing simplified or tiered compliance mechanisms to reduce 18
administrative burden on FFN providers while maintaining program integrity. 19
(c) Reporting. – No later than July 1 of each year, the Department shall submit a report 20
to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and the Fiscal 21
Research Division of the General Assembly detailing each of the following: 22
(1) The number of FFN providers enrolled in or newly accessing CACFP. 23
(2) The number of children served through FFN providers participating in 24
CACFP. 25
(3) Any barriers to participation identified and steps taken to address them. 26
(4) Recommendations for additional legislative or administrative action. 27
(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require any FFN provider to participate 28
in CACFP, to alter the licensure requirements of Chapter 110 of the General Statutes, or to 29
conflict with applicable fed