AN ACT directing the department of health and human services to use a portion of the funds appropriated under the child care and development fund block grant from the american rescue plan act (arpa) to temporarily increase rates for child care subsidy for all age groups of children enrolled in three‑, four‑, and five‑star rated child care centers and homes to those recommended in the 2018 child care market rate study.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Section 9L.2(b)(1)a. of S.L. 2021‑180 reads as rewritten:

a.        A minimum of two hundred six million dollars ($206,000,000) but no more than two hundred fifteen million dollars ($215,000,000) to (i) reduce the waitlist for children eligible for subsidized child care who are in foster care and (ii) after addressing the waitlist under item (i) of this sub‑subdivision, work toward reducing the waitlist for children eligible for subsidized child care. Additionally, the Division shall use a portion of these funds to temporarily increase the child care subsidy reimbursement rates to those recommended in the 2018 Child Care Market Rate Study.

SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2022.