GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 1635

Short Title:  Child Care Resource/Referral Funds.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representatives Holt; Jeffus, Ives, and Colton.
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Referred to:  Appropriations.
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May 25, 1994

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL SERVICES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  (a)	There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Human Resources, Division of Child Development, the sum of one million eight hundred forty-five thousand dollars ($1,845,000) for the 1994-95 fiscal year for the development of community-based child care resource and referral services in unserved counties, and for the continuation of existing community-based child care resource and referral agencies.
These funds shall be allocated for the following purposes:
(1)	To develop resource and referral services in unserved counties;
(2)	To continue existing resource and referral services;
(3)	To provide training and technical assistance to developing and existing resource and referral agencies; and
(4)	To administer the program.
(b)	Funds allocated to existing community-based child care resource and referral agencies shall be awarded based on a formula developed by the Division of Child Development.
(c)	For purposes of this section, an eligible unserved county shall follow a prescribed method for the development of resource and referral services that includes a planning and a development phase leading to accreditation status.  For purposes of this section, an eligible existing agency is a public or private community-based child care resource and referral agency accredited or certified by the North Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral Network.  Resource and referral services include:
(1)	Identification of existing child care services and regular maintenance of database;
(2)	Telephone referral or face-to-face consultation for families that provides child care information and quality indicators and promotes parental choice;
(3)	Collection of parent demand statistics; procedures, and policies to handle confidentiality and complaints;
(4)	Recruitment and training of prospective child care providers, coordination of training for existing child care providers; and
(5)	Public awareness efforts and education on quality, affordability, and availability of child care in the local area.
(d)	An agency's eligibility to reserve funds allocated by this act shall depend on that agency's showing local support through matching funds of either cash or in-kind contributions.
Sec. 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1994.