Bill in NC House introduced to boost child care support, alter scholarship funding

State Rep. Julie von Haefen has put forward a new bill designed to enhance child care assistance for both providers and families. The measure, highlighted by the North Carolina State House, focuses on an expansion of subsidies and long-term program modifications.

Submitted as HB 1066 on April 27 during the 2025 regular session, the measure appears under the short title: ‘Child Care Stabilization & Affordability Act.’

Here is an overview based directly on the bill text, with some explanation for clarity.

The proposal redirects several hundred million dollars from the Opportunity Scholarship program into child care subsidies, limits scholarship qualifications and award levels, and enables additional grants for 4-year-olds as of July 1, 2026. It would make the Tri-Share child care payment sharing program permanent, revive and expand a refundable child tax credit for tax years starting in 2026, and provide funding for early childhood apprenticeship initiatives at community colleges. The bill includes directives to create a centralized provider portal, evaluate public and state building usage for child care, modify guidance for faith-based programs, increment and later index reimbursement rates for subsidies, increase wage supplemental funds, and establish a statewide health plan for child care employers and workers.

Lindsey Prather, one of four co-sponsors, submitted the largest number of bills—35—during the 2025 regular session.

In North Carolina, legislation must clear a number of procedural steps before becoming state law. A bill is first filed by a legislator and assigned to a committee for initial evaluation. Both chambers must hold three readings of the bill. If changes are made by one after the other passes it, both must approve the revised text. When both agree, the final version is sent to the governor, who then has 10 days (or up to 30 while the legislature is not in session) to either sign it, reject it with a veto, or allow it to become law without signature.

More information on this and other measures from the session is available here.

Von Haefen is an alumna of Ohio University (1992, BA), and Case Western Reserve University (1995, JD).

A member of the Democratic Party, von Haefen began serving in the North Carolina State House in 2019 representing the 36th district, succeeding Nelson Dollar.