Sen. Chaudhuri files bill in North Carolina Senate to amend child care group size regulations

A new bill filed by Sen. Chaudhuri seeks to provide greater flexibility in child care settings by revising group size limits and supervision requirements for infants and toddlers, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 745 on March 25 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Child Care Center Capacity Amendment Act.’

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

In essence, this bill seeks to provide more flexibility in child care settings by amending regulations on maximum group sizes for infants and toddlers and aligning nap time supervision standards for one-year-olds with those for two-year-olds. Specifically, it allows child care centers operating under enhanced requirements to increase toddler group sizes from 18 to 20 children with a 1/9 staff-child ratio. Under the highest voluntary enhanced requirements, centers maintaining certain staff-child ratios can increase group sizes for infants and toddlers, with a 1/4 staff-child ratio for infants up to 12 months and 1/5 for those 12 to 24 months. Nap time supervision for groups of children aged one year or older will require a visible staff member in the room, with additional staff nearby. The act becomes effective when it becomes law.

Of the two sponsors of this bill, Jim Burgin proposed the most bills (64) 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.

Chaudhuri graduated from Davidson College in 1991 with a BA and again in 1999 from North Carolina Central University with a JD.

Chaudhuri, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2019 to represent the state’s 15th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Terry Van Duyn.