Several advocates for child care funding were arrested Wednesday inside the Legislative Building. (Photo: Greg Childress)
Eight activists demanding lawmakers allocate $300 million in emergency childcare funding were arrested Wednesday inside the state legislative building after NC General Assembly Police warned them to stop singing and chanting. Police told protesters that they’d received a noise complaint.
The activists were given three warnings before police arrested them, bound their hands with zip ties and led them away. The protesters were charged with second-degree trespassing and a related charge.
“We asked them three times to lower their voices or they would be subject to being arrested,” said NC General Assembly Police Chief Martin Brock. “After the third warning, those who kept singing, we warned them a final time.”
Brock told reporters he did not know who made the noise complaint.
Later, the state House unanimously approved an amendment to Senate Bill 357 authorizing $67 million in emergency funding to keep stabilization payments coming until lawmakers can end their budget impasse.
“Basically what this amendment does is reallocates funds from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund and helps us get through the first quarter,” said Rep. Donny Lambeth, R-Forsyth. “We’ve all heard about the childcare cliff. July 1 is an important date because funding does stop and what this amendment does is add in to allow funds to be allocated at least through the first quarter.”
Lambeth said the expectation is that lawmakers will return to Raleigh before those funds are depleted to adopt a budget. The bill was sent to the Senate.
Two weeks ago, a coalition of child care operators, faith leaders, parents and others asked state lawmakers to make a $300 million emergency appropriation to help keep childcare centers open and teachers in classrooms.
The Republican-led House and Senate have proposed allocating roughly $135 million for childcare center grants that will no longer be provided by the federal government starting next month.
Advocates have said that $135 million is not enough to keep centers open and teachers in classrooms long-term. They reminded lawmakers of their position during a rally outside of the legislative building.
Emma Biggs, a Charlotte childcare provider, said $300 million is needed just to maintain the state childcare system.
Emma Biggs being detained during rally inside the legislative building. (Photo: Greg Childress)
Biggs, who was among the eight protesters arrested, said lawmakers have refused to meet with advocates to discuss the childcare crisis.
“They keep ignoring us and proposing what they think is going to support child care in this state – less than half of the care minimum that we need to stay open,” Biggs said.
Rev. Rob Stephens, NC Repairers of the Breach Organizing Committee coordinator, said some centers will be forced to close in four days with adequate funding.
“This isn’t just a guess, this isn’t fantasy, this is already happening,” said Stephens, who was also arrested.
Rev. Wayne Wilhelm, tri-chair of the North Carolina Poor People’s Campaign, said lawmakers have a “selective-life stance.”
“It’s a shame we have to continue to come out here and demand and proclaim to the people behind us [lawmakers in the legislative building] that claim that life is so precious, that life is so important, that we [have to] demand that they fund early childhood education,” Wilhelm said.
Newsline has previously reported that the state will soon spend the last of $1.3 billion in federal grant money that helped child care providers make it through the pandemic. Some of the money was used to increase worker pay.
NC Newsline reported in April that a North Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral Council survey found that 88% of childcare providers will need to increase parent fees when the federal money runs out. Forty percent said they would have to raise parent fees immediately. About half said they would lose administrative and teaching staff and about two-thirds said they would have trouble hiring new employees with comparable experience and education.
Nearly one-third of the programs surveyed said they would have to close within a year. That’s equivalent to more than 1,500 programs and close to 92,000 childcare and early education slots.
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