H259 - 2023 Appropriations Act. (SL 2023-134)

Overview: Section 9D.4 of S.L. 2023-134 requires Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), to allocate child care subsidy vouchers. The base amount for each county is the mandatory 30% North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. subsidy allocation. DHHS must use the procedure established in this section for the allocation of federal and State child care funds exclusive of the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. subsidy allocation.

This section further requires DCDEE to submit a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Fiscal Research Division each year of the 2023-2025 biennium which must include the following:

• The amount of funds used for preventing termination of services and repayment of federal funds.
• The date remaining funds were distributed to counties.
• Any counties that received less funds than the previous year and the amount the funds were decreased.

The county can reallocate unused child care subsidy vouchers to meet the child care needs of low-income families. The reallocation must be based on the expenditure of all child care subsidy voucher funds in the county.

Additional requirements of DCDEE include calculation of the market rate increase in the formula established by this section.

This section became effective July 1, 2023.