A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to merge the "more at four" program with the north carolina partnership for children, Inc.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a)  All components of the "More at Four" program in the Office of School Readiness except for (i) the teacher licensure function and (ii) the personnel positions funded with grants from the United States Department of Education, are transferred from the Department of Public Instruction to the Department of Health and Human Services, effective July 1, 2009. This transfer shall have all the elements of a Type I transfer as defined in G.S. 143A‑6.
The Division of Child Development of the Department of Health and Human Services shall facilitate the merging of the "More at Four" program with the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., shall administer the program through the local partnerships.
The Department of Health and Human Services shall abolish all positions not needed by the Department for the administration of the "More at Four" program and shall make available to the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., the remainder of the funds for administration of the program.
SECTION 1.(b)  The Department of Health and Human Services shall implement a plan to expand "More at Four" program standards within existing resources to include four‑ and five‑star rated centers and schools serving four‑year‑olds and develop guidelines for these programs. The "NC Prekindergarten Program Standards" initiative shall recognize four‑ and five‑star rated centers that choose to apply and meet equivalent "More at Four" program standards as high quality pre‑k classrooms. Classrooms meeting these standards shall have access to training and workshops for "More at Four" programs.
SECTION 2.  For the 2009‑2011 fiscal biennium, the "More at Four" program shall establish income eligibility requirements for the program not to exceed seventy‑five percent (75%) of the State median income. Up to twenty percent (20%) of children enrolled may have family incomes in excess of seventy‑five percent (75%) of median income if they have other designated risk factors. Furthermore, any age‑eligible child of:  (i) an active duty member of the armed forces of the United States, including the North Carolina National Guard, State military forces, or a reserve component of the armed forces, who is ordered to active duty by the proper authority within the last 18 months or expected to be ordered within the next 18 months; or (ii) a member of the armed forces of the United States, including the North Carolina National Guard, State military forces, or a reserve component of the armed forces, who was injured or killed while serving on active duty, shall be eligible for the program.
SECTION 3.  For the 2009‑2011 fiscal biennium, the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., is required to meet funding set asides and percentages associated with the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., program based upon the Partnership's allocation only. Any funding transferred from the "More At Four" program to the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., shall be a designated funding stream for high‑quality prekindergarten programs.
SECTION 4.  G.S. 143B‑168.10 reads as rewritten:
"§ 143B‑168.10.  Early childhood initiatives; findings.
The General Assembly finds, upon consultation with the Governor, that every child can benefit from, and should have access to, high‑quality early childhood education and development services. The economic future and well‑being of the State depend upon it. To ensure that all children have access to high‑quality early childhood education and development services, the General Assembly further finds that:
(1)	Parents have the primary duty to raise, educate, and transmit values to young preschool children;
(2)	The State can assist parents in their role as the primary caregivers and educators of young preschool children; 
(3)	There is a need to explore innovative approaches and strategies for aiding parents and families in the education and development of young preschool children; and
(4)	There is a need to provide academic prekindergarten programs for at‑risk four‑year‑olds who would otherwise not be served in a high‑quality education program in order to help those four‑year‑olds be prepared developmentally to succeed in school."
SECTION 5.  G.S. 143B‑168.12(a)(1)(n) is repealed.
SECTION 6.  The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., shall submit a report by February 1, 2011, to the House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Education, and the Fiscal Research Division. The report shall include the following:
(1)	The number of children participating in the program.
(2)	The number of children participating in the program who have never been served in other early education programs, such as child care, public or private preschool, Head Start, Early Head Start, or early intervention programs.
(3)	The expected expenditures for the programs and the source of the local match for each grantee.
(4)	The location of program sites and the corresponding number of children participating in the program at each site.
(5)	A comprehensive cost analysis of the program, including the cost per child served by the program.
(6)	A study of how to merge "More at Four" funding with the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., allocation formula. The study should take into account the number of "More at Four" slots filled by counties on a monthly basis and a means by which to shift unfilled slots to counties with waiting lists.
(7)	A study of whether the Division of Child Development should create a six‑star rating and an adjusted rates system for centers and schools that meet "NC Prekindergarten Program Standards."
(8)	The means by which the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., will address funding set asides based on any new funds received from merging the "More at Four" program with the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc.
(9)	The means by which to prevent the supplanting of funding for classrooms serving four‑year‑olds.
SECTION 7.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2009.