A new bill filed by State Rep. Donny Lambeth in the North Carolina House seeks to expand and enhance child care workforce academies for individuals new to the field, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 389 on March 12 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Child Care Workforce Pilot Program.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill establishes the Child Care Workforce Academy Pilot Program in North Carolina, aiming to expand and enhance the existing child care workforce academies over two years, specifically targeting individuals with no prior experience or education in child care. The North Carolina Partnership for Children, in collaboration with the North Carolina Community Colleges System Office, will implement the program across several counties. The pilot will enroll students in academies up to three times a year, providing free training to prepare them as lead teachers, granting them a North Carolina Early Childhood Credential upon completion. The program includes stipends of at least $150 for graduates and an additional $500 for those who remain employed as lead teachers after one year. Funded through a state appropriation of $738,000 annually for the 2025-27 biennium, local partnerships must demonstrate a 25% local financial match. The program’s progress will be reported by March 31, 2026, with a final report due December 31, 2026. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.
Of the four sponsors of this bill, Lambeth proposed the most bills (21) 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.
Lambeth graduated from High Point University in 1972 with a BA.
Lambeth, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2013 to represent the state’s 75th House district, replacing previous state representative Bill McGee.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donny Lambeth, Dean Arp, John R. Bell, IV, and Larry C. Strickland | HB 389 | 03/12/2025 | Child Care Workforce Pilot Program. |
| Donny Lambeth, Carla D. Cunningham, Donnie Loftis, and Larry W. Potts | HB 328 | 03/06/2025 | Ban Delta-8 & Delta-9 on School Grounds. |
| Donny Lambeth, Carla D. Cunningham, Donnie Loftis, and Larry W. Potts | HB 329 | 03/06/2025 | Tobacco and Hemp on Nonpublic School Grounds. |
| Donny Lambeth, Becky Carney, Donna McDowell White, and Mary Belk | HB 297 | 03/05/2025 | Breast Cancer Prevention Imaging Parity. |
| Donny Lambeth, Dean Arp, Erin Paré, and Heather H. Rhyne | HB 309 | 03/05/2025 | Various Local Provisions VI. |
| Donny Lambeth, Donnie Loftis, and Kyle Hall | HB 274 | 03/04/2025 | Foster Care Services/Funds. |
| Donny Lambeth, Donna McDowell White, Larry W. Potts, and Timothy Reeder, MD | HB 242 | 02/26/2025 | Add Psychiatric Hospitals to Medicaid HASP. |
| Donny Lambeth, Erin Paré, Mike Schietzelt, and Tricia Ann Cotham | HB 192 | 02/25/2025 | Salary Adjustments and Budget Offsets. |
| Donny Lambeth, Cody Huneycutt, Larry W. Potts, and Timothy Reeder, MD | HB 152 | 02/18/2025 | Access to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. |
| Donny Lambeth, Harry Warren, John M. Blust, and Paul Scott | HB 142 | 02/17/2025 | Implement Zero-Based Budgeting. |
| Donny Lambeth, Erin Paré, Kyle Hall, and Larry W. Potts | HB 124 | 02/13/2025 | Adopt Official State Cookie. |
| Donny Lambeth, Donna McDowell White, Erin Paré, and Kyle Hall | HB 125 | 02/13/2025 | Continuing Budget Operations. |
| Donny Lambeth, Donna McDowell White, and Larry W. Potts | HB 113 | 02/12/2025 | Create Committee on Medicaid Sustainability. |
| Donny Lambeth, Dean Arp, Kyle Hall, and Larry C. Strickland | HB 74 | 02/10/2025 | House Budget Technical Corrections. |
| Donny Lambeth and Jeff Zenger | HB 82 | 02/10/2025 | Study Commission for LEA Size. |
| Donny Lambeth, Grant L. Campbell, MD, Larry W. Potts, and Timothy Reeder, MD | HB 67 | 02/05/2025 | Healthcare Workforce Reforms. |
| Donny Lambeth, Allen Chesser, Erin Paré, and Kyle Hall | HB 46 | 02/04/2025 | Make Healthcare Affordable. |
| Donny Lambeth, Grant L. Campbell, MD, Kelly E. Hastings, and Timothy Reeder, MD | HB 49 | 02/04/2025 | Filial Debt Fairness Act. |
| Donny Lambeth, Brian Biggs, Larry W. Potts, and Tricia Ann Cotham | HB 60 | 02/04/2025 | Modernize Medicaid Dental Rates. |
| Donny Lambeth, Jeff Zenger, Kyle Hall, and Larry W. Potts | HB 30 | 02/03/2025 | SchCalFlex/WS-F,Stokes,Davdsn/Aug11 & Assmnts. |
| Donny Lambeth, Jeff Zenger, Kyle Hall, and Tricia Ann Cotham | HB 34 | 02/03/2025 | Establish Larceny of Mail Offense. |
