North Carolina H1066: Child Care Stabilization & Affordability Act.

What the bill says

An act to permit opportunity scholarship funds to be awarded for prekindergarten; to make permanent the tri-share child care pilot program; to reenact the child care tax credit; to expand the early childhood education workforce; to streamline administrative requirements for child care providers; to utilize public facilities for child care; to clarify regulatory guidance for religious child care programs; to stabilize child care funding and benefits in north carolina; and to enhance child care workforce compensation and benefits.

From the introduced text:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO PERMIT OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS TO BE AWARDED FOR PREKINDERGARTEN; TO MAKE PERMANENT THE TRI-SHARE CHILD CARE PILOT PROGRAM; TO REENACT THE CHILD CARE TAX CREDIT; TO EXPAND THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION WORKFORCE; TO STREAMLINE ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS; TO UTILIZE PUBLIC FACILITIES FOR CHILD CARE; TO CLARIFY REGULATORY GUIDANCE FOR RELIGIOUS CHILD CARE PROGRAMS; TO STABILIZE CHILD CARE FUNDING AND BENEFITS IN NORTH CAROLINA; AND TO ENHANCE CHILD CARE WORKFORCE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS. Whereas, affordable and accessible child care is essential to workforce participation, small business stability, and economic growth across the State; and Whereas, North Carolina faces significant shortages in licensed child care capacity due to workforce constraints, regulatory bottlenecks, and rising operating costs; and Whereas, early childhood educators are often paid wages insufficient to sustain the workforce needed to meet statewide demand; and Whereas, expanding training pathways, including apprenticeships and community college programs, can strengthen the child care workforce pipeline; and Whereas, the lack of coordinated administrative systems requires child care providers to interact with multiple agencies and funding streams; and Whereas, the General Assembly has a compelling interest in expanding safe, high-quality child care while ensuring regulatory clarity, workforce development, and economic participation; Now, therefore, The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: PART I. REVISE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS …

Read the full official text