Part I.

Expands the types of materials the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) must consider in evaluating the education levels of in conjunction with issuing a rated license to a child care facility in GS 110-90 to include the NC Early Childhood Credential, based on experience.

Adds the following to the required qualifications for child care staff listed in GS 110-91(8). Allows five years of documented experience teaching in a licensed child care facility in the State to be equivalent to the NC Early Childhood Credential (Credential). Makes conforming change to Section 8 of SL 2024-34 (QRIS modifications) to account for the new five-year work experience alternative to the Credential added to GS 110-91(8).

Amends GS 110-91(7)a (staff/child ratios for childcare centers), as follows. Increases the minimum group size for children aged 0 to 24 months from 10 to 15 children and from 12 to 18 for children aged 12 to 24 months. Specifies that if a child care center is operating under voluntary enhanced requirements, the maximum group size for toddlers aged 2 to 3 years may be increased from 18 to 20 children when the child care center maintains a 1:9 staff-child ratio. Sets forth maximum group sizes for infants and toddlers ranging from groups of 12 with a staff/child ratio of 1:4 for children aged 0 to 12 months to groups of 20 with a staff/child ratio of 1:8 for children 2-3 years if the child care center is operating under the highest voluntary enhanced requirements. Provides that for groups of children 1 year of age or older, the staff/child ratio during nap time complies with the requirements of rules adopted by the Commission if (1) at least one person remains in the room, (2) all children are visible to that person, and (3) the total number of required staff are on the premises and within calling distance of the rooms occupied by children.

Requires the DHHS, Division of Child Development and Early Education (Division) to coordinate with the Child Care Commission to clarify rules on multi-use child care centers to ensure they: (1) allow the use of existing buildings to house multi-unit child care centers and include mixed-age centers if they meet the requirements outlined in the rules regarding multiunit child care centers; (2) grant access to applicants who meet the pre-licensing guidelines and are awarded a license by the Division; and (3) grant individual licenses within a multi-unit child care center based on the square footage used by each owner.

Part II.

Expands the schools covered by the Division’s policy on school facilities used by out-of-school childcare governed by GS 110-91(6) to include middle schools. Makes conforming change.

Instructs, in new GS 110-91(6a) that any building and grounds which are currently approved for school occupancy and which house a public or private elementary or middle school are deemed to have met the sanitation, fire, and building code requirements for a licensed child care facility when the building and grounds are serving the same, or a subset of the same, school-age children in an out-of-school child care program. Directs the Commission to adopt or amend any rules to ensure uniformity and consistency in application of the exemptions for school-age children in out-of-school childcare programs.

Amends the required qualifications for child care staff listed in GS 110-91(8) to allow child care center administrators to have the School-Age Administration Credential, as an alternative to the North Carolina Early Childhood Administration Credential. Makes conforming changes.  

Amends GS 110-98.5(3) which provides that when remote or virtual learning is required because of a state of emergency, care given to school-age children is not considered child care, by adding that if a program was licensed before the state of emergency, it is deemed licensed during the state of emergency whether it expands its capacity to provide services to more children so long as it follows the staff to child ratios for licensure.

Adds the Weikart Youth Program Quality Assessment ("Weikart Program") as an assessment tool for evaluating out-of-school child care programs and awarding of a star-rating. Requires the Division to take the described steps and have the Weikart Program available for applicants no later than six months after the act becomes law.