2024 NCLCCA Advocacy Agenda
Support NC Families & Employers by Supporting NC Licensed Child Care Providers!
NC’s licensed child care providers (including centers, family child care homes and religious-affiliated providers) are on the front lines educating and caring for our state’s most precious asset - its youngest children. Yet they face a workforce crisis (since long before the pandemic), a complex regulatory system, and a difficult financial climate - exacerbated by the Pandemic and rising inflation.
NCLCCA's Ongoing Policy Objectives:
- Help licensed child care providers address the ongoing workforce/staffing crisis;
- Improve the regulatory climate for licensed child care providers; and,
- Improve financial climate for providers by securing reimbursement increases and tax policy changes.
2024 Policy Goals
- Extend the “hold harmless” law for Star Ratings and ensure that mandatory Rated-License assessments do not resume until QRIS reforms have been fully implemented (no earlier than June 30, 2026.)
- Make early childhood accreditations recommended by the Child Care Commission (NAC, NAEYC, and Cognia) equivalent to a Five-Star rating, effective immediately.
- Support legislation introduced in 2023 to extend stabilization (compensation) grants for licensed child care providers.
- Support legislation introduced in 2023 to set a new statewide “rate floor” for subsidized child care based on the statewide average market rate (instead of county average market rates) and continue to advocate for rates that align with the true cost of quality child care.
- Provide subsidized child care or tuition assistance/scholarships for teachers and staff in licensed child care/ECE programs to: a) Ensure they are able to work to help support their families, b) Increase capacity to serve other children and families, and c) Reduce staff turnover, which is harmful for young children.
- Seek tax policy changes that support licensed child care providers, assist staff working in licensed child care, and help expand access to high-quality licensed child care.
- Increase NC Pre-K rates for licensed child care providers to fully reimburse them for the program’s cost and make policy reforms that support increased participation in NC Pre-K by licensed private child care providers.