Sen. Everitt files bill in North Carolina Senate to improve child care and safety

A new bill filed by Sen. Everitt seeks to improve child care quality and children’s health and safety throughout North Carolina, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 483 on March 25 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘The Children First Act.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill, “The Children First Act,” focuses on enhancing children’s well-being in North Carolina, with initiatives aimed at improving child care access and quality. Effective July 1, 2025, it allocates $50 million annually from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services for child care subsidies and seeks to expand child care subsidies by increasing eligibility to 85% of the State Median Income and revising the family’s copayments based on income. Additional funds are designated for assisting start-up child care facilities, particularly in underserved areas, and for the creation of a Child Care Facilities Investment Fund and Loan Program. The bill also implements an employer-provided child care tax credit starting January 1, 2026. It proposes multiple initiatives to enhance child health and safety, including Medicaid coverage for doula services, funding for youth mental health, suicide prevention strategies, and child passenger safety law revisions, alongside measures addressing firearm storage, tobacco, vapor product access, and internet safety for children. It establishes stricter regulations on social media platforms to protect children under 18 and creates a statewide Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team. Workforce development measures, such as fast-track licensing for experienced child care workers and expansion of apprenticeship programs, aim to address workforce shortages. The bill also establishes the Child Care Innovation Task Force to monitor and improve child care strategies in the state.

A related bill, HB 507, was also filed in the North Carolina House, introduced by Rep. Lindsey Prather (and three others) on March 25, 2025.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Lisa Grafstein proposed the most bills (65) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Everitt graduated from Rutgers University in 1997 with a BA and again in 2001 from Columbus School of Law with a JD.

Everitt, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2025 to represent the state’s 18th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Mary Wills Bode.