Child care workers press NC legislators earlier this year to fund their industry as federal stabilization grants sunset. (Photo: Clayton Henkel) As many as 55 childcare centers in Western North Carolina damaged by Hurricane Helene will remain closed for the foreseeable future, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS). More than 200 facilities in the 25 counties declared major disaster areas were impacted by the storm.