Raising North Carolina

The DCDEE Newsletter

As the information related to COVID-19 evolves, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is committed to providing the most effective and appropriate public health guidance related to the pandemic. The best tools right now are getting vaccinated, getting boosted when eligible, testing after exposure, and staying home when sick. As of June 18, 2022, COVID-19 vaccines are now authorized for children ages 6 months and older. The ChildCareStrongNC Public Health Toolkit has been updated on July 6, 2022, to reflect this change.

Use this Protect Them from Covid flyer, also linked in the toolkit’s resource page, to promote vaccinations among all children ages 6 months and older. Feel free to post the flyer in your child care facility. If you have questions about these updates, please contact your child care health consultant.

The 2022-2023 Appropriations Bill (HB 103) signed by Governor Cooper on July 11, 2022, made two important changes to North Carolina General Statute 110-90-2 regarding child care Criminal Background Checks.

1. The period for background check qualification renewals was revised from three years to five years.
2. The provisional qualification period was reduced to forty-five days.

The Division intends to implement these changes as soon as possible. An individual’s current Qualification Letter will be extended 2 years for the total of 5 years. New Qualification Letters will not be generated. Individuals with a Provisional Qualification Letter will receive a Qualification Letter on the 45th day. Letters are generated in the Criminal Background Check portal.

July Payment Reductions

As previously announced, beginning with the July quarterly payment, the Fixed Cost and Families Grant component of the Child Care Stabilization Grants has been reduced by about one-third for all child care programs. The planned decrease was postponed from April to allow programs time to recover from the COVID-19 Omicron surge in early 2022.

There has been no change in the formula (see below) for Compensation Support Grants, but some grantees may notice a decrease in the grant payment amount for Compensation Support Option 2: Increase Base Pay/Benefits. This is not an error. Included in the Option 2 formula is a quality enhancement bonus for 3, 4, and 5-star rated child care programs which adds 10% of the Fixed Costs and Families Grant amount to the Compensation Grant payment. If the Fixed Costs grant increases, then the bonus amount increases. Similarly, if the Fixed Costs grant goes down, then the bonus amount goes down too.

The reduction in the Fixed Costs and Families Grant doesn’t affect the amount of Compensation Support Option 1: Bonuses.

From Stabilization Grants Training 2 – Using Your NC Stabilization Grant slide deck (pdf)

Stabilization Grant Timeline – 2 Quarterly Payments Left

July marked the fourth quarterly payment of Child Care Stabilization Grants. When the funding program launched last October, DCDEE planned to provide six quarterly payments over 18 months.

The 5th quarterly grant payment will go out around mid-October. To receive funds, child care programs will need to submit a quarterly update for Quarter 4: July 1-September 30, 2022 expenditures, and a recertification application in early October.

All child care program grantees will see an additional reduction in the Fixed Costs grant for the October quarterly payment. Note that if the grantee is receiving Option 2 Compensation Supports and has a 3, 4, or 5-star rated license, the bonus portion of the Compensation grant will also be smaller. 

Changes in the Fixed Costs and Families Grant don’t affect the amount of Compensation Grants Option 1: Bonuses.

The 6th and final payment is scheduled for January 2023.

July Quarterly Update Closes Tonight

Previously submitted quarterly updates will not be reopened.

The quarterly update for April-June is available now for child care programs that have not yet submitted it. It will close again at 11:59 PM on Friday, July 22, 2022. Please answer all questions and submit complete and accurate documentation. IMPORTANT: all child care programs that submit a quarterly update during July 11-22, 2022, will receive a REDUCED quarterly payment to cover August and September only. This is in addition to the 1/3 reduction in the Fixed Costs and Families Grant.