NC S791

Appropriates $180,000,000 in recurring funds from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education for the 2020-2021 fiscal year to expand NC Pre-K program access to all income-eligible four-year-old children in North Carolina.

Appropriates an additional $20,000,000 in recurring funds for the 2020-2021 fiscal year to incentivize higher teacher compensation and education levels in the NC Pre-K program.

Requires the Division of Child Development and Early Education to develop and implement a teacher incentive program by July 1, 2021 that provides enhanced subsidy payments to child care programs employing lead teachers with a minimum of an associate's degree in child development or a related field.

Mandates the Division submit a progress report on the teacher incentive program implementation to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services by March 1, 2022.

Becomes effective July 1, 2020.