CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Child care employers are sounding the alarm about public funds they depend on coming to an end in July. 

At the end of June, public funds helping many child care centers survive will no longer be in effect. 

Child care advocates had previously been expressing disappointment about no new stabilization grants for child care being added to the 2023-24 state budget. 

Now employers are voicing concerns about the dollars they're currently receiving ending. 

Melinda Moore is the director at Tiny Treasures Child Development Center and has 15 full-time and three part-time employees, serving 84 kids. 

"We're licensed for 100, but I've had to cut back on the number of children we can serve due to staffing and a tight budget," Moore said. 

Moore says she's deeply concerned about losing the public funds her workers depend on for their livelihood. 

"Our center has gotten between $10,000 to $12,000 every four months to pay the teachers," Moore said. "It shows up as stabilization funds from the state for COVID. It goes right into the teachers' salary." 

Moore says if the funds are eliminated, she'll be forced to make some extremely hard decisions. 

"This money has helped me keep the prices lower for families," Moore said. "I [haven't] raised the prices in two years. We're going to have to raise our prices to even remain open and keep the number of children we [serve] right now. The money has allowed me to pay all of my staff extra and allowed them to afford a living wage to afford their rent, utilities and food costs. Without this money, I'm going to have some hard decisions. I may have to cut a staff member. I may have to drop our enrollment, combine classrooms or close a classroom down. It's going to affect every center in the state."

Moore is calling on lawmakers to take action, sooner than later. 

"Please consider funding it and keeping this funding. It's very important, it affects the lives of children all over the state, it affects the economy because if parents can't go to work then other businesses are going to suffer. This money is very important. We need it in order to remain open. We do appreciate the funding we got during COVID, but the industry has still not rebounded from COVID. We already operate on thin margins, there's no extra money to go around," Moore said.

Christy Lemons-Hunter has been a teacher at Tiny Treasures Child Development Center for over 18 years. 

"They're like my kids, they're what keep me here," Lemons-Hunter said. "I've been here so long. I have kids in my care who I had their parents [when they were younger]." 

But like many child care employees, Lemons-Hunter is concerned about her livelihood once the stabilization funds come to an end. 

"You're looking anywhere from $400 to $500, sometimes $600 for some teachers being cut out of their pay and that's a huge cut for them," Lemons-Hunter said.

Lemons-Hunter says losing those dollars will hit her household. 

"It takes away from my gas, my mortgage, my power, just living essentials. I have kids at home, and that's going to cut into what they do that's extra-curriculum [activities]," Lemons-Hunter said. 

"It makes me feel nervous," Lemons-Hunter said. "You never know if losing this money means decreasing in staff, you don't know who, staff-wise, will have to go." 

In a statement, the Family Childcare & Center Enrichment Foundation is calling on lawmakers to work together with its stakeholders to ensure the needs and concerns of child care providers will be addressed. 

"FCCEF encourages open dialogue between policymakers, childcare providers, and relevant stakeholders to collaboratively address these concerns and work towards a system that ensures the highest quality of care for children while supporting the sustainability of Family Childcare Providers," said a statement from the FCCEF. 

Spectrum News 1 will continue following this story for additional updates.