California Assembly Bill AB563 Latest Draft

                            Amended IN  Assembly  April 10, 2025 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 563Introduced by Assembly Member JacksonFebruary 12, 2025 An act to amend Sections 8203.1, 8263, 8281.5, 8285, and 8320 of the Education Code, and to amend Sections 10203, 10219, 10305.5, 10309.1, 10309.7, 10351, 10352, 10375, 10376, 10480, 10486, 10487, and 10492.2 of, to amend the heading of Chapter 31 (commencing with Section 10480) of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of, to amend the heading of Article 2 (commencing with Section 10485) of Chapter 31 of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of, to add Section 10486.5 to, and to repeal and add Sections 10320 and 10485 of, Section 10320 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to childcare. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAB 563, as amended, Jackson. Childcare: strategic planning councils. Early Childhood Policy Council.Existing law establishes the Early Childhood Policy Council to advise the Governor, the Legislature, and the State Department of Social Services on statewide early learning and care policy. Existing law imposes various duties on the council, including, among others, requiring the council to prepare a formal public annual report on the work of the council and providing specific recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on all aspects of the states early childhood education system.This bill would require the council to submit a report, on an annual basis, to the Legislature and specified committees of the Legislature that includes, at a minimum, the successes, challenges, and gaps in the states childhood education systems and recommendations to facilitate advancing the states vision for children, families, and communities. The bill would also require the council to develop policy proposals and budget requests for the Legislature to consider related to facility needs, workforce needs, and family access.Existing law requires the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools to select members for the local childcare and development planning council, known as a local planning council, for that county. Existing law provides requirements for the makeup of a local planning council. Existing law requires a local planning council, by May 30 of each year, and upon approval by the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools, to submit to the State Department of Education the local priorities it has identified that reflect all childcare needs in the county, and requires the local planning council, in order to identify those local priorities, to do certain things, including, among others, encourage public input in the development of the priorities, collaborate with specified entities to foster partnerships designed to meet local childcare needs, and conduct an assessment of childcare needs in the county at least once every 5 years. Existing law defines childcare for purposes of these provisions to mean all licensed childcare and development services and license-exempt childcare for all children up to and including 12 years of age, as provided.This bill would rename local planning council to strategic planning council and would revise the definition of childcare to include early childhood education services. The bill would revise the makeup requirements for strategic planning councils, as provided. The bill would authorize a county board of supervisors and a county superintendent of schools to merge the strategic planning council with the Quality Rating and Improvement System local consortia or with another strategic planning council in a contiguous county under certain conditions, as provided. The bill would repeal all of the requirements imposed on strategic planning councils in order for the strategic planning council to identify local priorities, except those listed above, as provided. The bill would require the needs assessment to be due by May 30 of each year in which it is due, and would require a strategic planning council, beginning in 2027, to use the needs assessment template developed by the department in collaboration with the strategic planning councils. The bill would require specified state and local entities to provide to the department the information necessary for a strategic planning council to complete the needs assessment, and would require the department to share data and information necessary to complete the needs assessment with strategic planning councils and counties implementing individualized county childcare subsidy plans.The bill would require a strategic planning council, on or before March 30, 2027, and every 3 years thereafter, to develop and submit to the county board of supervisors and the county board of education a strategic plan and investment priorities, and would require the strategic plan to address facility needs, workforce needs, family access, and quality and transition planning, as provided. The bill would require the county board of supervisors and the county board of education to hold public hearings on the proposed strategic plan and investment priorities at a regularly scheduled meeting. The bill would require a strategic planning council, at least twice each year, to convene a forum for stakeholders to provide input to and receive updates from the Quality Rating and Improvement System local consortium. The bill would require a strategic planning council to work with the county office of education, special education local plan areas, and the school districts and regional centers in the county to facilitate the transition of children with exceptional needs into the K12 system. By imposing new duties on strategic planning councils and specified local entities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would provide that the operation of these provisions is contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act for these purposes.The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY  Appropriation: NO  Fiscal Committee: YES  Local Program: YESNO Bill TextThe people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. Section 10320 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10320. (a) The Early Childhood Policy Council is hereby established to advise the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on statewide early learning and care policy, including the planning for, and the implementation and evaluation of, the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the 2019 California Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report.(b) (1) The council shall maintain at least two ongoing standing advisory committees: a parent advisory committee appointed pursuant to subdivision (e) and a workforce advisory committee appointed pursuant to subdivision (f).(2) The council shall include 27 members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Fourteen members appointed by the Governor, including those required pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code. One of the Governors appointees shall be the chairperson of the council.(B) Four members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.(C) Four members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.(D) One member appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.(E) Two members of the parent advisory committee, appointed by that committee.(F) Two members of the workforce advisory committee, appointed by that committee.(3) Members of the council shall include stakeholder representatives reflecting the comprehensive child care system; represent the ethnic, racial, and language diversity of the state; and represent geographic diversity and those communities separated from opportunity due to poverty, racial bias, language, geographic isolation, disability, and other factors.(4) Members of the council shall serve no longer than six years.(5) To the extent funding for the council is provided in the annual Budget Act, language interpretation services shall be provided at convenings of the council and its committees to ensure language access and meaningful participation.(6) To the extent funding for the council is provided in the annual Budget Act, members of the council or its committees who are provider participants or parent representatives shall be reimbursed as necessary for their reasonable expenses, including travel, a stipend to cover child care costs, lost wages, and expenses for substitutes for attending council meetings.(c) The council shall do all of the following:(1) Convene at least four public meetings per year. These meetings shall provide access for participants throughout the state.(2) Advise the Governor and perform activities required pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code.(3) Prepare a formal public annual report on the work of the council.(4) Provide specific recommendations directly to the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on all aspects of the states early childhood education system, including on the following topics:(A) Equity, with consideration for demographic, geographic, and economic diversity, and with a focus on family-centered two-generation approaches.(B) Opportunities to incorporate a support model of accountability, as opposed to a compliance model of accountability, into the states early childhood education system.(C) Ways that the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the 2019 California Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report can be updated and improved.(5) (A) Submit a report to the Legislature, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Assembly Committee on Human Services, and the Senate Committee on Human Services on an annual basis that includes, at a minimum, the successes, challenges, and gaps in the states childhood education systems and recommendations to facilitate advancing the states vision for children, families, and communities.(B) A report to be submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.(6) Develop policy proposals and budget requests for the Legislature to consider related to facility needs, workforce needs, and family access.(d) Staff for the council and its committees shall be provided by the California Health and Human Services Agency. From funding appropriated for purposes of this section, up to three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) may be used by the California Health and Human Services Agency for the costs to provide staff for the council and its committees.(e) (1) The parent advisory committee shall be a standing committee of the council.(2) The parent advisory committee shall include nine members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Three members appointed by the Governor, including one consumer who receives services from a child care center provider, one consumer who is on a subsidy waiting list at the time of the appointment, and one consumer who is a parent of a child with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, who receives services from a child care provider.(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, including one consumer who receives services from a family child care home provider or a family, friend, or neighbor provider, one consumer who is a current or former CalWORKs child care recipient, and one consumer who is connected to the child welfare system.(C) Three members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, including one consumer who receives services from a transitional kindergarten provider, one consumer who represents a tribal organization who receives services from a child care provider, and one consumer who pays privately for child care.(3) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the parent advisory committee.(4) If a person cannot be found to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2), the appointing authority may designate an alternate committee member.(5) The parent advisory committee shall provide recommendations to the council and other entities on all aspects of early childhood education, including all of the following:(A) Equity, access, and best practices for engaging families.(B) Creating warm and welcoming care environments.(C) How to develop local and state partnerships to support the best outcomes for families that interact with the states early childhood education system.(f) (1) The workforce advisory committee shall be a standing committee of the council.(2) The workforce advisory committee shall include nine members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Three members appointed by the Governor, including one licensed family child care home provider, one center-based child care director from a subsidized child care program, and one representative from a statewide organization representing child care providers.(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, including one family, friend, or neighbor child care provider, one representative from a Head Start program provider, and one representative from a community college that operates a program that provides early child care education coursework and laboratory school experience.(C) Three members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, including one representative from a child care provider experienced in providing services to children with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, in a full-inclusion environment, one center-based child care teacher from a subsidized child care program, and one provider who provides services to children from a tribal organization.(3) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the workforce advisory committee.(4) If a person cannot be found to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2), the appointing authority may designate an alternate committee member.(5) The workforce advisory committee shall provide recommendations to the council and other entities on all aspects of early childhood education on an ongoing basis.SECTION 1.Section 8203.1 of the Education Code is amended to read:8203.1.(a)The Superintendent shall administer a QRIS block grant, pursuant to an appropriation made for that purpose in the annual Budget Act, to be allocated to local consortia for support of local early learning quality rating and improvement systems that increase the number of low-income children in high-quality preschool programs that prepare those children for success in school and life.(b)(1)For purposes of this section, early learning quality rating and improvement system or QRIS is defined as a locally determined system for continuous quality improvement based on a tiered rating structure with progressively higher quality standards for each tier that provides supports and incentives for programs, teachers, and administrators to reach higher levels of quality, monitors and evaluates the impacts on child outcomes, and disseminates information to parents and the public about program quality.(2)For purposes of this section, local consortium is defined as a local or regional entity, administered by a lead agency, that convenes a planning body that designs and implements a QRIS. A local consortium shall include representatives from organizations including, but not limited to, all of the following:(A)Local educational agencies.(B)First 5 county commissions.(C)Higher educational institutions.(D)Strategic planning councils.(E)Local resource and referral agencies.(F)Alternative payment programs.(G)Other local agencies, as appropriate, which may include, but are not limited to, nonprofit organizations, that provide services to children from birth to five years of age, inclusive, tribal representatives, childcare licensing regional offices, special education local plan area, the county social services department, the local public health department, the local behavioral health department, regional centers, and Head Start and Early Head Start grantees.(3)For purposes of this section, quality continuum framework means the tiered rating matrix created and adopted by a local consortium for purposes of implementing a QRIS. The tiered rating matrix shall include three common tiers shared by all participating local consortia. Changes to the common tiers shall be approved and adopted by all participating local consortia.(c)The QRIS block grant shall build on local consortia and other local QRIS work in existence on or before the operative date of this section.(d)For the 201415 fiscal year, if a county or region has an established local consortium that has adopted a quality continuum framework, the local consortiums lead administering agency shall be provided the first opportunity to apply for a QRIS block grant.(e)Local consortia shall do all of the following to be eligible for a QRIS block grant:(1)Implement a QRIS that incorporates evidence-based elements and tools in the quality continuum framework that are tailored to the local conditions and enhanced with local resources.(2)Set ambitious yet achievable targets for California state preschool program contracting agencies participation in the QRIS with the goal of achieving the highest common tier, as the tier existed on June 1, 2014, or a higher level of quality.(3)Develop an action plan that includes a continuous quality improvement process that is tied to improving child outcomes.(4)Describe how QRIS block grant funds will be used to increase the number of sites achieving the highest common local tier and to directly support classrooms that have achieved the highest common tier, as that tier existed on June 1, 2014, or a higher level of quality.(5)Develop information and resources that help families understand why preschool matters and how to identify a quality preschool program that meets the needs of the family.(f)The Superintendent, in consultation with the executive director of the state board, shall allocate QRIS block grant funds to local consortia that satisfy the requirements of subdivision (e) based on the number of California state preschool program slots within the county or region.(g)(1)Local consortia receiving QRIS block grant funds shall allocate those funds to contracting agencies of the California state preschool program, as established by Article 2 (commencing with Section 8207), or local educational agencies, for activities that support and improve quality, and assess quality and access. In allocating the QRIS block grant funds, priority shall be given to directly supporting the classrooms of the California state preschool program sites that have achieved the highest common local tier of quality.(2)No more than 20 percent of a local consortiums QRIS block grant funds may be used for assessment and access projects.(h)A family childcare home education network that provides California state preschool program services shall be eligible for an allocation from a local consortium of QRIS block grant funds for activities that support, improve, and assess quality.SEC. 2.Section 8263 of the Education Code is amended to read:8263.(a)The department shall disburse augmentations to the base allocation for the expansion of preschool programs to promote equal access to preschool services across the state.(b)(1)In order to provide progress towards achieving access to full-day, full-year preschool services for all income-eligible four-year-old children and to promote access for all income-eligible four-year-old children to attend at least a part-day California state preschool program, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall, in awarding new funding appropriated by the Legislature, in any fiscal year, for the expansion of California state preschool programs, use the formula developed pursuant to subdivision (c) and may use the priorities identified by strategic planning councils, as provided for in Section 10486 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and other high-quality data resources available to the department.(2)Expansion funding awarded pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be apportioned at the rate described in Section 8242 and as determined in the annual Budget Act.(3)A family childcare home education network shall be eligible to apply for expansion funding awarded pursuant to paragraph (1).(c)The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall develop a formula for prioritizing the disbursement of augmentations pursuant to this section. The formula shall give priority to allocating funds to underserved areas. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall develop the formula by using the definition of underserved area in Section 8205 and direct impact indicators of need for preschool services in the county or subcounty areas. For purposes of this section, subcounty areas include, but are not limited to, school districts, census tracts, or ZIP Code areas that are deemed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to be most appropriate to the type of program receiving an augmentation. Direct impact indicators of need may include, but are not limited to, the teenage pregnancy rate, the unemployment rate, area household income, or the number or percentage of families receiving public assistance, eligible for Medi-Cal, or eligible for free or reduced-price school meals, and any unique characteristics of the population served by the type of program receiving an augmentation.(d)To promote equal access to services and allocate resources equitably, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall develop a process for identifying underserved areas and populations within counties. This guidance shall include reference to the direct impact indicators of need described in subdivision (c).(e)This section does not preclude a local educational agency from subcontracting with an appropriate public or private agency to operate a California state preschool program, subject to Section 18140 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, and to apply for funds made available pursuant to this section. If a school district chooses not to operate or subcontract for a California state preschool program, the Superintendent shall work with the county office of education and other eligible agencies to explore possible opportunities in contracting or alternative subcontracting to provide a California state preschool program.(f)This section does not prevent eligible children who are receiving services from continuing to receive those services pursuant to this chapter in future years.SEC. 3.Section 8281.5 of the Education Code is amended to read:8281.5.(a)The California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program is hereby established as a state early learning initiative with the goal of expanding access to classroom-based prekindergarten programs at local educational agencies.(b)For the 202122 fiscal year, the sum of three hundred million dollars ($300,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department for allocation to local educational agencies for the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program pursuant to this section. These funds shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2024.(c)(1)Of the total amount appropriated under subdivision (b), the Superintendent shall allocate two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) in the 202122 fiscal year to local educational agencies as follows:(A)A minimum base grant to all local educational agencies that operate kindergarten programs as determined using California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment from the 202021 certification, as follows:(i)For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 1 to 23 pupils, inclusive, the minimum base grant shall be twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).(ii)For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 24 to 99 pupils, inclusive, the minimum base grant shall be fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).(iii)For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 100 or more pupils, the minimum base grant shall be one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000).(B)A minimum base grant for each county office of education of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for each local educational agency in their county that operates kindergarten programs to support countywide planning and capacity building.(C)Of the remaining funds after allocations under subparagraphs (A) and (B):(i)Sixty percent shall be available as enrollment grants. These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agencys proportional share of total California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment for the 201920 fiscal year, as applied to the total amount of program funds available for the enrollment grant. For purposes of this clause, the total statewide kindergarten enrollment shall be calculated using the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 201920 fiscal year for each local educational agency.(ii)Forty percent shall be available as supplemental grants. These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agencys California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 201920 fiscal year, multiplied by the local educational agencys unduplicated pupil percentage, as calculated pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02 or subdivision (b) of Section 2574 certified as of the second principal apportionment. Funds for this purpose shall be distributed percent-to-total from funds available for the supplemental grant.(D)Notwithstanding any other law, any kindergarten enrollment reported by a county office of education shall be attributed to the school district of geographic residence.(2)Grant funds may be used for costs associated with creating or expanding California state preschool programs or transitional kindergarten programs, or to establish or strengthen partnerships with other providers of prekindergarten education within the local educational agency, including Head Start programs, to ensure that high-quality options for prekindergarten education are available for four-year-old children. Allowable costs include, but are not necessarily limited to, planning costs, hiring and recruitment costs, staff training and professional development, classroom materials, and supplies.(3)Local educational agencies receiving grants pursuant to this subdivision shall do both of the following:(A)Commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the Superintendent, including, but not limited to, recipient information and participating in overall program evaluation.(B)Develop a plan for consideration by the governing board or body at a public meeting on or before June 30, 2022, for how all children in the attendance area of the local educational agency will have access to full-day learning programs the year before kindergarten that meet the needs of parents, including through partnerships with the local educational agencys expanding learning offerings, the After School Education and Safety Program, the California state preschool program, Head Start programs, and other community-based early learning and care programs.(4)(A)Funds that are allocated or awarded pursuant to this subdivision shall be expended by June 30, 2026. The department shall then initiate collection proceedings for unexpended funds.(B)The department shall initiate collection proceedings for grant funds used by local educational agencies in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of this section, including, but not limited to, failing to submit all required data pursuant to paragraph (3).(C)The department may allocate or prorate any returned or collected funds pursuant to this subdivision for the purposes provided in subdivision (e).(d)(1)For the 202223 fiscal year, the sum of three hundred million dollars ($300,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department for allocation to local educational agencies for the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program pursuant to this section. These funds shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2026. The Superintendent shall allocate funds to local educational agencies as follows:(A)A minimum base grant to all local educational agencies that operate kindergarten programs, as determined using California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment from the 202122 certification, as follows:(i)For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 1 to 500 pupils, inclusive, the minimum base grant shall be twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).(ii)For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 501 or more pupils, the minimum base grant shall be fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).(B)A minimum base grant for each county office of education of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for each local educational agency in their county that operates kindergarten programs to support countywide planning and capacity building.(C)Of the funds remaining after the allocations pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B):(i)Sixty percent shall be available as enrollment grants. These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agencys proportional share of total California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment for the 202122 fiscal year, as applied to the total amount of program funds available for the enrollment grant. For purposes of this clause, the total statewide kindergarten enrollment shall be calculated using the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 202021 fiscal year for each local educational agency.(ii)Forty percent shall be available as supplemental grants. These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agencys California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 202021 fiscal year, multiplied by the local educational agencys unduplicated pupil percentage, as calculated pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02 or subdivision (b) of Section 2574, as applicable, and certified as of the second principal apportionment. Funds for this purpose shall be distributed percent-to-total from funds available for the supplemental grant.(D)Notwithstanding any other law, any kindergarten enrollment reported by a county office of education shall be attributed to the school district of geographic residence.(2)Grant funds may be used for costs associated with creating or expanding California state preschool programs or transitional kindergarten programs, or to establish or strengthen partnerships with other providers of prekindergarten education within the local educational agency, including Head Start programs, to ensure that high-quality options for prekindergarten education are available for children four years of age. Allowable costs shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, classroom operating costs, planning costs, hiring and recruitment costs, staff training and professional development, classroom materials, and supplies.(3)Local educational agencies receiving grants pursuant to this subdivision shall do all of the following:(A)Commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the Superintendent, including, but not limited to, recipient information and participating in overall program evaluation.(B)If the local educational agency did not develop the plan required pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), develop a plan for consideration by the governing board or body at a public meeting on or before March 30, 2023, for how all children in the attendance area of the local educational agency will have access to full-day learning programs the year before kindergarten that meet the needs of parents, including through partnerships with the local educational agencys expanding learning offerings, the After School Education and Safety Program, the California state preschool program, Head Start programs, and other community-based early learning and care programs. A plan developed pursuant to this subparagraph satisfies the requirements of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c).(C)Ensure expenditures are consistent with their local plan adopted pursuant to subdivision (c).(D)Commit to planning with their countys strategic planning council, local tribes, and the California state preschool program and Head Start program providers in their region.(E)Offer transitional kindergarten to all eligible pupils interested in transitional kindergarten within their attendance area by the 202526 school year.(4)(A)Funds allocated or awarded pursuant to this subdivision shall be expended by June 30, 2026. The department shall then initiate collection proceedings for unexpended funds.(B)The department may allocate or prorate any returned or collected funds pursuant to this subdivision for the purposes provided in subdivision (e).(5)The department shall initiate collection proceedings for grant funds used by local educational agencies in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of this section, including, but not limited to, failing to submit all required data pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3).(e)(1)(A)Of the total amount appropriated under subdivision (b), the Superintendent shall award one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) in competitive grants to local educational agencies to increase the number of highly-qualified teachers available to serve California state preschool programs and transitional kindergarten pupils, and to provide California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten teachers with training in providing instruction in inclusive classrooms, culturally responsive instruction, supporting dual language learners, enhancing social-emotional learning, implementing trauma-informed practices and restorative practices, and mitigating implicit biases to eliminate exclusionary discipline, pursuant to this section. These funds shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2024.(B)Any funds allocated for purposes of this subdivision pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (c) or subparagraph (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) shall be available for encumbrance through June 30, 2026.(2)The Superintendent shall develop and administer a process to award grants under paragraph (1), subject to approval of the executive director of the state board, on a competitive basis to local educational agencies. To apply for a grant, a local educational agency shall submit an application to the department describing how it will allocate funds and increase either the number of credentialed teachers meeting the requirements of subdivision (g) of Section 48000, or the competencies of California state preschool programs, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten teachers to enhance their ability to provide instruction in inclusive classrooms, provide culturally responsive instruction, support dual language learners, enhance social-emotional learning, implement trauma-informed and restorative practices, and mitigate implicit biases to eliminate exclusionary discipline.(3)A local educational agency may apply on behalf of a consortium of providers within the local educational agencys program area, including California state preschool programs and Head Start programs operated by community-based organizations.(4)An applicant shall demonstrate all of the following to be considered for a grant award:(A)A need for preschool and transitional kindergarten or kindergarten professional development in a region.(B)A need for preschool and transitional kindergarten teachers in a region.(C)The presence of, or plan to create, inclusive classroom settings.(D)The ability to connect the preschool, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten program to before and after school programs and extended day services.(E)A plan to integrate preschool, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten professional development opportunities.(F)A plan for recruiting new preschool, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten teachers with experience in early learning and care settings and collaborating with institutions of higher education to ensure a qualified prekindergarten teacher pipeline.(G)A plan for how principals and administrators overseeing the transitional kindergarten program, or other prekindergarten program, will receive training and professional development on the value and tenets of effective instruction for young children.(5)In awarding grants under paragraph (1), the Superintendent shall establish a methodology that accounts for all of the following:(A)The percentage of transitional kindergarten and kindergarten pupils eligible for free and reduced-price meals.(B)The percentage of dual language learners that the local educational agency is serving or is planning to serve in a California state preschool program or transitional kindergarten program.(C)The percentage of pupils with disabilities the local educational agency is serving or planning to serve in an inclusive California state preschool program or transitional kindergarten program.(D)The percentage of pupils served, or planned to be served, in full-day California state preschool, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten programs offered by the local educational agency or community-based organizations.(E)The extent to which applicants operate in an attendance area where a significant disproportionality of particular races or ethnicities, as described in Section 1418(d) of Title 20 of the United States Code, has been identified in special education.(F)The extent to which the local educational agency is located in an area that has more than three young children, three to five years of age, inclusive, for every licensed childcare slot.(G)The extent to which applicants plan to partner with community-based California state preschool programs and Head Start programs in their program area to ensure those teachers have access to professional development along with teachers employed by the local educational agency.(6)Grants awarded under paragraph (1) for professional development may be used for costs associated with the educational expenses of current and future California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten professionals that support their attainment of required credentials, permits, or professional development in early childhood instruction or child development, including developing competencies in serving inclusive classrooms and dual language learners. Professional development grant funds shall be used for any of the following purposes:(A)Tuition, supplies, and other related educational expenses.(B)Transportation and childcare costs incurred as a result of attending classes.(C)Substitute teacher pay for California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten professionals that are currently working in a California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten classroom.(D)Stipends and professional development expenses, as determined by the Superintendent.(E)Career, course, and professional development coaching, counseling, and navigation services.(F)Linked courses, cohorts, or apprenticeship models.(G)Training and professional development for principals and other administrators of transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, on the value and tenets of effective instruction for young children.(H)Other educational expenses, as determined by the Superintendent.(7)Local educational agencies awarded funding pursuant to paragraph (1) may partner with local or online accredited institutions of higher education or local agencies that provide high-quality or credit-bearing trainings, or apprenticeship programs that integrate and embed higher education coursework with on-the-job training of professionals.(8)Professional learning provided pursuant to this subdivision shall, as applicable, be aligned to the preschool learning foundations and academic standards pursuant to Sections 51226, 60605, 60605.1, 60605.2, 60605.3, 60605.4, 60605.8, and 60605.11, as those sections read on June 30, 2020, and former Section 60605.85, as that section read on June 30, 2014.(9)Local educational agencies receiving grants under this subdivision shall commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the Superintendent, including, but not necessarily limited to, recipient information, including demographic information, educational progress, and the type of courses taken, and participating in overall program evaluation.(10)The Superintendent shall provide a report to the Department of Finance and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on or before October 1, 2024, on the expenditure of funds and relevant outcome data in order to evaluate the impact of the grants awarded under this subdivision.(11)(A)Notwithstanding any other law, on June 30, 2027, any unexpended funds of the amount awarded for purposes of this subdivision shall revert to the General Fund.(B)Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), any unexpended funds allocated for purposes of this subdivision pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (c) and subparagraph (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) shall revert to the General Fund on June 30, 2028.(f)For purposes of this section, local educational agency means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.(g)For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by subdivision (b) shall be deemed to be General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 202021 fiscal year, and included within the total allocations to school districts and community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B, as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202, for the 202021 fiscal year.(h)For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by subdivision (d) shall be deemed to be General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 202122 fiscal year, and included within the total allocations to school districts and community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B, as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202, for the 202122 fiscal year.SEC. 4.Section 8285 of the Education Code is amended to read:8285.(a)The plan shall be submitted to the strategic planning council, as defined in Section 10480 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, for approval. Upon approval of the plan by the strategic planning council, the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco shall hold at least one public hearing on the plan. Following the hearing, if the board of supervisors votes in favor of the plan, the plan shall be submitted to the department for review.(b)Within 30 days of receiving the plan, the department shall review and either approve or disapprove the plan.(c)Within 30 days of receiving any modification to the plan, the department shall review and either approve or disapprove that modification to the plan.(d)The department may disapprove only those portions of the plan or modifications to the plan that are not in conformance with either this article or Article 9 (commencing with Section 8273) or that are in conflict with federal law.SEC. 5.Section 8320 of the Education Code is amended to read:8320.(a)The California Universal Preschool Planning Grant Program is hereby established with the goal of expanding access universally to preschool programs for three- and four-year-old children across the state through a mixed-delivery system.(b)As used in this section, the following definitions shall apply:(1)Children with exceptional needs has the same meaning as defined in Section 8205.(2)Mixed-delivery system means a system of early childhood education services that is delivered through a variety of providers, programs, and settings, including Head Start agencies or delegate agencies funded under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9831, et seq.), public, private, or proprietary agencies, including community-based organizations, public schools, and local educational agencies that offer center-based childcare and preschool programs, tribal childcare and preschool, and family childcare through a family childcare home education network.(3)Three- and four-year-old children has the same meaning as three-year-old children and four-year-old children, as those terms are defined in Section 8205.(4)Universal preschool means those programs that offer part-day or full-day, or both, educational programs for three- and four-year-old children, and may be offered through a mixed-delivery system.(c)(1)(A)Pursuant to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, for each of the 202223, 202324, and 202425 fiscal years, the Superintendent shall consult with the Director of Social Services and shall create an application to award grant funds to one designated lead agency within each county, as set forth in this section. Each county shall submit a single planning grant application.(B)The county grant submission shall contain a signed agreement from the resource and referral agencies in the county and the strategic planning council.(2)(A)(i)A strategic planning council established pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 10485) of Chapter 31 of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code shall have first priority for grant awards from their countys allocation of funds calculated for each county, as described paragraph (1) of subdivision (d).(ii)A strategic planning council shall express interest by submitting a letter of intent to the department on a template developed by the Superintendent in consultation with the State Department of Social Services.(iii)If a strategic planning council wishes to partner with other counties in their region pursuant to subdivision (j), the strategic planning council shall indicate this intent in their letter of intent.(B)(i)In counties where the strategic planning council does not submit a letter of intent to receive an award, a resource and referral agency established pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10217) of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code that operates in the county may submit a joint letter of intent with the strategic planning council to the Superintendent, on a template developed by the Superintendent in consultation with the State Department of Social Services, indicating interest in conducting the activities of this grant in their county.(ii)The joint letter submitted pursuant to clause (i) shall designate a lead fiscal agency and describe the partnership the resource and referral agencies will use to meet the requirements of the grant.(iii)If a resource and referral agency wishes to partner with other counties in their region pursuant to subdivision (j), the resource and referral agency shall indicate this intent in their letter of intent.(C)Once letters of intent have been submitted, the Superintendent shall require the designated lead agency from each county to submit an application that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following information:(i)A description of how it will allocate funds and achieve tasks described in subdivision (f).(ii)A description of how the applicant will partner with the county office of education and other local educational agencies in the county on the work required pursuant to Section 8281.5, to ensure activities conducted under this grant meet community needs for universal preschool in a mixed-delivery system not already addressed.(D)All grantees shall be required to coordinate with the county office of education on the work required pursuant to Section 8281.5. In counties where the county office of education operates the resource and referral agency or the strategic planning council, the staff responsible for those activities at the county office of education shall be included and financially supported to participate in the activities of this grant.(E)The grantee shall form a single working group that shall include, but not be limited to, representatives from the county offices of education, school districts, charter schools offering transitional kindergarten, resource and referral programs, alternative payment programs operating preschool programs, First 5 county commissions, contracted state preschool programs, including both local educational agency and community-based organization programs, general childcare programs serving preschool-age children, tribal preschool programs, private center-based childcare preschool providers, licensed family childcare providers, educators, exclusive bargaining representatives, Head Start, faculty at local institutions of higher education focusing on child development or early childhood education, and early childhood education teacher preparation programs, including institutions of higher education.(d)The Superintendent shall develop and administer a grant process and award grant funds to each county that applies for funding for the 202223 fiscal year if the application conforms with the requirements of this section. Funds shall be allocated using a methodology for determining the amount of funds in each county that accounts for all of the following:(1)(A)Base grant funding that reflects the number of three- and four-year-old children in the county or region.(B)Add-on funding that reflects both of the following:(i)The number of three- and four-year-old children in the county or region who are currently eligible for, but not enrolled in, subsidized preschool programs as part of the mixed-delivery system for universal preschool, as determined by the Superintendent.(ii)The number of three- and four-year-old children with exceptional needs in the county or region.(2)To the extent funds are available in the Budget Act of 2023, existing grantees shall be eligible to apply for a renewal grant subject to terms and conditions developed by the Superintendent.(3)(A)To the extent funds are available in the Budget Act of 2024, the following entities shall be eligible to apply for a grant subject to terms and conditions developed by the Superintendent:(i)Existing grantees.(ii)Newly formed consortia.(iii)Individual counties that participated in a former consortium for this grant, with the first priority for the funds going to the strategic planning council, pursuant to the process described in subdivision (c), as appropriate.(B)Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), in a county that previously received funds from this grant, where the previous grantee or consortia of grantees does not intend to reapply for funding pursuant to subparagraph (A), the following entities shall be eligible to apply as part of an existing or newly formed consortia, with the following priority order:(i)The strategic planning council.(ii)Resource and referral agencies.(iii)First 5 county commissions.(C)If an entity applies for the grant pursuant to subparagraph (B), the grant submission shall include a signed statement, from all entities within the county with a higher priority and within the same priority, that acknowledges their intent not to apply for the funds.(D)An entity receiving funds pursuant to this paragraph shall complete all activities of the grant pursuant to subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c), subparagraph (E) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c), and subdivision (f).(E)The entity applying for funds in each county pursuant to this paragraph shall express interest by submitting a letter of intent to the department on a template developed by the Superintendent, before submitting the request for data.(F)Each county shall submit a single planning grant application for the relevant fiscal year.(G)If funds are awarded pursuant to this paragraph to a First 5 county commission, the First 5 county commission shall collaborate with, and subgrant funds, where appropriate, to strategic planning councils and resource and referral agencies to implement the activities of this section.(e)Grant funds may be used for costs associated with any of the following:(1)Assessing the parental preferences and the need for access to available high-quality universal preschool through a mixed-delivery system for three- and four-year-old children in the county or region by program type.(2)Establishing or strengthening partnerships with other providers of early childhood education services and family childcare home education networks within the county or regions mixed-delivery system and with tribal partners, to ensure that high-quality options for universal preschool, including inclusive preschool programs and multilingual programs, are available for three- and four-year-old children.(3)Engaging in community-level coordination and planning with agencies participating in the county or regions mixed-delivery system to implement high-quality universal preschool options.(4)Coordinating with special education local and regional partners, including regional centers and local educational agencies, to ensure three- and four-year-old children with exceptional needs in the county or region have access to universal preschool through the mixed-delivery system in the least restrictive environment in accordance with Section 1412(a)(5)(A) of Title 20 of the United States Code.(5)Partnering with the regional agency responsible for the system described in Section 8203.1 to fund and support workforce development, coaching, and other quality improvement activities to support the universal preschool mixed-delivery system.(6)Other costs, as specified by the Superintendent.(f)Entities receiving grants pursuant to this subdivision shall do all of the following:(1)Plan for the provision of high-quality universal preschool options for three- and four-year-old children, through a mixed-delivery system that ensures access to high-quality full- and part-day learning experiences, coordinated services, and referrals for families to access health and social-emotional support services. Indicators of quality shall be determined by the Superintendent pursuant to Section 8203.(2)Plan for increasing inclusion of children with exceptional needs in universal preschool.(3)Assist existing and aspiring universal preschool site supervisors, teachers, and other support staff in identifying and accessing local workforce pathway programs, including financial support programs, to increase the number of site supervisors, teachers, and other support staff who have required credentials and degrees.(4)Provide outreach services and enrollment support for families of three- or four-year-old children, to meet family needs and provide those children with high-quality full- and part-day learning experiences.(5)Partner to plan for, align and coordinate the plans, and conduct the activities described in paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, with all local educational agencies in the county or region that received funding pursuant to the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program (Article 13.2 (commencing with Section 8281.5)).(6)Partner with tribes to reflect family and tribal community needs, as sovereign nations, in the planning and implementation of the universal preschool mixed-delivery system.(7)Commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the Superintendent, including, but not limited to, plan development steps and participants engaged in the grant activities and planning, core needs of critical communities, including tribal communities, and recipient information and participation in overall program evaluation.(8)Develop a plan for consideration by the county board of education at a public meeting on or before June 30, 2023, for how all four-year-old children and an increased number of at-promise three-year-old children in the county may access full-day learning programs before kindergarten that meet the needs of parents, including through partnerships with the universal preschool programs in the mixed-delivery system and expanded learning offerings.(g)If the entity receiving the grant in a county is a strategic planning council, the strategic planning council shall collaborate with, and subgrant funds where appropriate to, local resource and referral agencies to implement the activities of this section.(h)If the entity receiving the grant in a county is a resource and referral agency, the resource and referral agency shall collaborate with, and subgrant funds where appropriate to, the strategic planning council to implement the activities of this section.(i)(1)Funds that are allocated or awarded pursuant to this section shall be expended on or before June 30, 2026. The department shall then initiate collection proceedings for unexpended funds.(2)The department shall initiate collection proceedings for grant funds used by grantees in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of this section, including, but not limited to, failing to submit all required data pursuant to subdivision (f).(j)This section does not prohibit counties from joining together to address regional needs with their funding and developing regional plans.(k)The Superintendent shall provide a report to the Department of Finance and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on or before October 1, 2026, on the expenditure of funds and relevant outcome data in order to evaluate the impact of the grants awarded under this section.(l)For purposes of this section, the State Department of Education may enter into exclusive or nonexclusive contracts with nongovernmental entities on a bid or negotiated basis. A contract entered into or amended pursuant to this section shall be exempt from Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 14825) of Part 5.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, Section 19130 of the Government Code, and Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code, and shall be exempt from the review or approval of any division of the Department of General Services.(m)Notwithstanding any other law, a contracted nongovernmental entity described in subdivision (l) may subcontract as necessary in the performance of its duties, subject to approval of the Superintendent.SEC. 6.Section 10203 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10203.(a)It is the intent of the Legislature to launch a phased approach to achieving the goals of the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care, uniting child care programs where they can best be integrated with other child and family focused benefits, programs, and services, and support child care providers and programs while maintaining vital connections to preschool, transitional kindergarten, and K-12 education.(b)To effectuate this transition, effective July 1, 2021, responsibility for the following programs, responsibilities, services, and systems are hereby transferred from the State Department of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction to the State Department of Social Services:(1)Alternative payment programs pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 10225) of Part 1.8.(2) Migrant alternative payment programs pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 10225) of Part 1.8.(3)CalWORKs Stage 2 child care pursuant to Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370) of Part 1.8.(4)CalWORKs Stage 3 child care pursuant to Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370) of Part 1.8.(5)General child care and development programs pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 10240) of Part 1.8.(6)Migrant child care and development programs pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 10235) Part 1.8.(7)Child care and development services for children with severe disabilities pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 10260) of Part 1.8.(8)The Child and Adult Care Food Program implemented pursuant to Section 1766 of Title 42 of the United States Code.(9)Child care and development facilities capital outlay pursuant to Chapter 30 (commencing with Section 10470) of Part 1.8.(10)Responsibility as the lead agency for administration of the Child Care and Development Fund, as defined in Section 98.2 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and as set forth in Sections 10211 to 10212.5, inclusive.(11)Responsibility as the lead agency for the Child Care and Development Fund State Plan Early Learning and Care Infrastructure Grant Program pursuant to former Section 8280 of the Education Code.(12)The Early Learning and Care Workforce Development Grants Program pursuant to Section 10311.(13)The California Head Start State Collaboration Office funded by collaboration grants awarded pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code.(14)The Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships Grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services.(15)Resource and referral agencies pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10217) of Part 1.8.(16)Strategic planning councils pursuant to Chapter 31 (commencing with Section 10480) of Part 1.8.(17)The California Child Care Initiative Project pursuant to Section 10223.(18)Other child care quality improvement projects.(19)Any memoranda of understanding and partnerships related to the programs, services, and systems listed in this subdivision.(20)The Child Development Management Information System and other related data systems as they pertain to the programs, services, and systems listed in this subdivision.SEC. 7.Section 10219 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10219.(a)For purposes of this chapter, child care resource and referral programs, established to serve a defined geographic area, shall provide the following services:(1)(A)Identification of the full range of existing child care services through information provided by all relevant public and private agencies in the areas of service, and the development of a resource file of those services which shall be maintained and updated at least quarterly. These services shall include, but not be limited to, family child care homes, public and private child care programs, full-time and part-time programs, and infant, preschool, and extended care programs.(B)The resource file shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:(i)Type of program.(ii)Hours of service.(iii)Ages of children served.(iv)Fees and eligibility for services.(v)Significant program information.(2)(A)(i)Establishment of a referral process which responds to parental need for information and which is provided with full recognition of the confidentiality rights of parents. Resource and referral programs shall make referrals to licensed child day care facilities. Referrals shall be made to unlicensed care facilities only if there is no requirement that the facility be licensed. The referral process shall afford parents maximum access to all referral information. This access shall include, but is not limited to, telephone referrals to be made available for at least 30 hours per week as part of a full week of operation. Every effort shall be made to reach all parents within the defined geographic area, including, but not limited to, any of the following:(I)Toll-free telephone lines.(II)Office space convenient to parents and providers.(III)Referrals in languages which are spoken in the community.(ii)Each child care resource and referral program shall publicize its services through all available media sources, agencies, and other appropriate methods.(B)(i)Provision of information to any person who requests a child care referral of their right to view the licensing information of a licensed child day care facility required to be maintained at the facility pursuant to Section 1596.859 of the Health and Safety Code and to access any public files pertaining to the facility that are maintained by the departments Community Care Licensing Division.(ii)A written or oral advisement in substantially the following form will comply with the requirements of clause (i):State law requires licensed child day care facilities to make accessible to the public a copy of any licensing report pertaining to the facility that documents a facility visit or a substantiated complaint investigation. In addition, a more complete file regarding a child care licensee may be available at an office of the State Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division. You have the right to access any public information in these files.(3)(A)Maintenance of ongoing documentation of requests for service tabulated through the internal referral process. The following documentation of requests for service shall be maintained by all child care resource and referral programs:(i)Number of calls and contacts to the child care information and referral program or component.(ii)Ages of children served.(iii)Time category of child care request for each child.(iv)Special time category, such as nights, weekends, and swing shift.(v)Reason that the child care is needed.(B)This information shall be maintained in a manner that is easily accessible for dissemination purposes and shall be accessible to strategic planning councils authorized pursuant to Section 10486 and any county implementing an individualized county child care subsidy plan.(4)Provision of technical assistance to existing and potential providers of all types of child care services. This assistance shall include, but not be limited to:(A)Information on all aspects of initiating new child care services including, but not limited to, licensing, zoning, program and budget development, and assistance in finding this information from other sources.(B)Information and resources that help existing child care services providers to maximize their ability to serve the children and parents of their community.(C)Dissemination of information on current public issues affecting the local and state delivery of child care services.(D)Facilitation of communication between existing child care and child-related services providers in the community served.(5)(A)(i)Provision of a child care navigator to support children in foster care, children previously in foster care upon return to their home of origin, and children of parents involved in the child welfare system, including the children of nonminor dependents. The navigator shall work with the childs family, as described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 11461.6, and the childs social worker and child and family team to assess child care opportunities appropriate to the childs age and needs, assist the family in identifying potential opportunities for an ongoing child care subsidy, assist the caregiver in completing appropriate child care program applications, and develop an overall, long-term child care plan for the child.(ii)As a condition of receiving funds pursuant to this subparagraph, each resource and referral program shall develop and enter into a memorandum of understanding, contract, or other formal agreement with the county child welfare agency in order to facilitate interagency communication and, to the maximum extent possible, to leverage federal funding, including administrative funding, available pursuant to Title IVE of the federal Social Security Act, to enhance the navigation support authorized under this subparagraph, or the resource and referral program shall explain, in writing, annually, why entering into a memorandum of understanding, contract, or other formal agreement with the county child welfare agency is not practical or feasible. Navigator services provided pursuant to this subparagraph shall be made available to any child in foster care, any child previously in foster care who has returned to their home of origin, and any child of parents involved in the child welfare system, including any child who meets the eligibility criteria for the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children established pursuant to Section 11461.6. Eligibility for navigator services shall not be contingent on a childs receipt of a child care payment or voucher.(B)(i)Provision of trauma-informed training and coaching to child care providers working with children, and children of parenting youth, in the foster care system. Training shall include, but not be limited to, infant and toddler development and research-based, trauma-informed best care practices. Child care providers shall be provided with coaching to assist them in applying training techniques and strategies for working with children, and children of parenting youth, in foster care.(ii)As a condition of receiving funds pursuant to this subparagraph, each resource and referral program, in coordination with the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, shall develop and enter into a memorandum of understanding, contract, or other formal agreement with the county child welfare agency in order to, to the maximum extent possible, leverage federal funding, including training funds, available pursuant to Title IVE of the federal Social Security Act, to enhance the training support authorized under this subparagraph, or the resource and referral agency shall explain, in writing, annually, why entering into a memorandum of understanding, contract, or other formal agreement with the county child welfare agency is not practical or feasible.(b)Services prescribed by this section shall be provided in order to maximize parental choice in the selection of child care to facilitate the maintenance and development of child care services and resources.(c)(1)A program operating pursuant to this chapter shall, within two business days of receiving notice, remove a licensed child day care facility with a revocation or a temporary suspension order, or that is on probation from the programs referral list.(2)A program operating pursuant to this chapter shall, within two business days of receiving notice, notify all entities, operating a program under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 10225) and Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370) in the programs jurisdiction, of a licensed child day care facility with a revocation or a temporary suspension order, or that is on probation.SEC. 8.Section 10305.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10305.5.(a)For purposes of this section department means the Department of Housing and Community Development.(b)The department shall administer the Child Care and Development Facilities Loan Guaranty Fund and the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund. The department may administer the funds directly, through interagency agreements with other state agencies, through contracts with public or private entities, or through any combination thereof. If the department determines that a public or private entity is capable of making child care and development or preschool facilities loans or loan guarantees, the department may delegate the authority to review and approve those loans or guarantees to the public or private entity. The department is authorized to enter into interagency agreements to carry out the purposes of this section and Section 10305 by using the services of small business financial development corporations established pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 5 of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code. Toward this end, the department is authorized to transfer funds from the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund to the California Economic Development Grant and Loan Fund established by Section 15327 of the Government Code and to transfer funds from the Child Care and Development Facilities Loan Guaranty Fund to the California Small Business Expansion Fund established by Section 63089.5 of the Government Code. Those funds shall be deposited into a Child Care Direct Loan Fund Account and a Child Care Loan Guaranty Fund Account hereby established in the respective funds. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 15310) of Part 6.7 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code and Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 5 of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code, the funds in these accounts shall be administered in compliance with the requirements of this section and Section 10305.(c)Eligible applicants for the loan guaranty program and the direct loan program shall include, but not be limited to, sole proprietorships, partnerships, proprietary and nonprofit corporations, and local public agencies that are responsible for contracting with or providing licensed child care and development services, preschool services, or both. Eligible facilities shall include licensed full-day and part-day child care and development facilities, preschool facilities, and licensed large family child care homes as described in Section 1597.465 of the Health and Safety Code, and licensed small family child care homes as described in Section 1597.44 of the Health and Safety Code.(d)Loan guarantees and direct loans for family child care homes shall not be made for the purpose of purchasing a home or any real property.(e)The State Department of Social Services shall provide input regarding program priorities that shall be considered in the funding of applications by the department. These priorities shall include, but are not limited to, the following:(1)Geographic priorities based on the extent of need for child care and development and preschool supply-building efforts in different parts of the state.(A)Not less than 30 percent of the loan guarantee and direct loan obligations shall benefit providers located in rural areas, as defined in subparagraph (B). If the amount of qualified applications from rural providers is insufficient to satisfy this requirement, the excess capacity reserved for rural providers may be made available to other qualified applications according to the policies and procedures of the department. The remaining 70 percent of funds shall be available to rural or urban areas and other priorities in accordance with this subdivision.(B)For purposes of subdivision (a), rural communities are defined by any county with fewer than 400 residents per square mile.(2)Age priorities based on the extent of need for child care and development or preschool supply-building efforts for children of different age groups.(3)Income priorities shall include families transitioning to work or other lower income families. For purposes of this section, lower income shall have the same meaning as income eligible as set forth in Section 10271.5.(4)Program priorities based on the extent of facilities needs among specific kinds of providers, including those that contract to administer state and federally funded child care and development or preschool programs administered by the State Department of Social Services or the State Department of Education, providers who have lost classrooms due to class size reduction or other state or local initiatives, or providers that need to expand to meet the needs of a child care or preschool initiative for recipients of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3, or any successor program.(f)The program priorities shall reflect input from representatives of diverse sectors of the child care and development or preschool fields, financial institutions, strategic planning councils, the Child Development Programs Advisory Committee, and the State Department of Social Services for purposes of identifying communities with high percentages of recipients of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3, or any successor program, who need child care or preschool to meet work requirements. As part of its annual report to the Legislature, required pursuant to Section 50408 of the Health and Safety Code, the department shall assess and report, after consultation with the State Department of Social Services, on the performance, effectiveness, and fiscal standing of the Child Care and Development Facilities Loan Guaranty Fund and the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund. The report shall include information on the number of defaults, the types of facilities in default, and a review of the adequacy of the set-aside for rural areas specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (e).(g)The department shall adopt regulations and establish priorities, forms, policies, and procedures for implementing and managing the Child Care and Development Facilities Loan Guaranty Fund and the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund and making the loan guarantees and direct loans authorized hereunder consistent with priorities provided by the State Department of Social Services. To the extent feasible, the department shall use applicant fees and points to cover its administrative costs. The department may use an amount of money from the Child Care and Development Facilities Loan Guaranty Fund and the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund, as appropriate, for reasonable administrative costs in any given fiscal year. Unless an appropriation for administrative costs is made in the annual Budget Act that exceeds the following limits, administrative expenditures shall not exceed 3 percent of the amount appropriated to each fund in the Budget Act of 1997.(h)(1)The department shall adopt regulations to efficiently and effectively implement the microenterprise loan program described in this subdivision, including, but not limited to, the following:(A)Making loans available from the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund to local microenterprise loan funds and other lenders who may relend the funds in appropriate amounts to eligible small family child care home providers described in Section 1597.44 of the Health and Safety Code, large family child care home providers described in Section 1597.465 of the Health and Safety Code, licensed child care and development facilities, and preschool facilities that serve up to 35 children.(B)Authorizing a specified amount of guarantees of small loans by local microenterprise loan funds and other lenders serving eligible small family child care home providers described in Section 1597.44 of the Health and Safety Code, large family child care home providers described in Section 1597.465 of the Health and Safety Code, licensed child care and development facilities, and preschool facilities that serve up to 35 children.(2)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this section or Section 10305, a loan made pursuant to this subdivision shall not be made for less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) or for more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and shall not be subject to the 75-percent investment restriction contained in paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 10305.(i)The department may adopt regulations for the purposes of this section as emergency regulations in accordance with Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. For the purposes of the Administrative Procedure Act, including Section 11349.6 of the Government Code, the adoption of the regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or general welfare, notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code. Notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code, any regulation adopted pursuant to this section shall not remain in effect for more than 180 days unless the department complies with all provisions of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, as required by subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code.SEC. 9.Section 10309.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10309.1.(a)The department shall disburse augmentations to the base allocation for the expansion of child care and development programs to promote equal access to child development services across the state.(b)The department shall use the formula developed pursuant to subdivision (c) and the priorities identified by strategic planning councils, unless those priorities do not meet the requirements of state or federal law, as a guide in disbursing augmentations pursuant to subdivision (a).(c)The department shall develop a formula for prioritizing the disbursement of augmentations pursuant to this section. The formula shall give priority to allocating funds to underserved areas. The formula shall use the definition of underserved area in Section 10213.5 and direct impact indicators of need for child care and development services in the county or subcounty areas. For purposes of this section, subcounty areas include, but are not limited to, school districts, census tracts, or ZIP Code areas that are deemed by the department to be most appropriate to the type of program receiving an augmentation. Direct impact indicators of need may include, but are not limited to, the teenage pregnancy rate, the unemployment rate, area household income, or the number or percentage of families receiving public assistance, eligible for Medi-Cal, or eligible for free or reduced-price school meals, and any unique characteristics of the population served by the type of program receiving an augmentation.(d)To promote equal access to services, the department shall include in guidelines developed for use by strategic planning councils pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 10486 guidance on identifying underserved areas and populations within counties. This guidance shall include reference to the direct impact indicators of need described in subdivision (c).SEC. 10.Section 10309.7 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10309.7.(a)The Legislature recognizes the importance of providing quality child care and preschool services. It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to assist counties in improving the retention of qualified child care and preschool employees who work directly with children who receive state-subsidized child care and preschool services.(b)It is further the intent of the Legislature, in amending this section during the 200910 Regular Session, to address the unique challenges of the County of Los Angeles, in which an estimated 60,000 low-income children receive subsidized child care in nonstate-funded child care settings and an additional 50,000 eligible children are waiting for subsidized services.(c)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), the funds appropriated for the purposes of this section by paragraph (11) of Schedule (b) of Item 6110-196-0001 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2000 (Chapter 52 of the Statutes of 2000), and that are described in subdivision (i) of Provision 7 of that item, and any other funds appropriated for purposes of this section, shall be allocated to strategic child care and development planning councils based on the percentage of state-subsidized, center-based child care and preschool funds received in that county, and shall be used to address the retention of qualified child care and preschool employees in state-subsidized child care centers and preschools.(2)Of the funds identified in paragraph (1), funds qualified pursuant to subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, may also be used to address the retention of qualified persons working in licensed child care and preschool programs that serve a majority of children who receive subsidized child care and preschool services pursuant to this chapter, including, but not limited to, family child care homes as defined in Section 1596.78 of the Health and Safety Code. To qualify for use pursuant to this paragraph, the funds shall meet all of the following requirements:(A)The funds are allocated for use in the County of Los Angeles.(B)The funds are appropriated in the annual Budget Act.(C)The funds are unexpended after addressing the retention of qualified child care and preschool employees in state-subsidized child care centers and family child care home education networks.(d)The department shall develop guidelines for use by strategic planning councils in developing county plans for the expenditure of funds allocated pursuant to this section. These guidelines shall be consistent with the departments assessment of the current needs of the subsidized child care and preschool workforce, and shall be subject to the approval of the Department of Finance. Any county plan developed pursuant to these guidelines shall be approved by the department prior to the allocation of funds to the strategic planning council.(e)Funds provided to a county for the purposes of this section shall be used in accordance with the plan approved pursuant to subdivision (d). A county with an approved plan may retain up to 1 percent of the countys total allocation made pursuant to this section for reimbursement of administrative expenses associated with the planning process.(f)The department shall provide an annual report, no later than April 10 of each year, to the Legislature, the Department of Finance, and the Governor that includes, but is not limited to, a summary of the distribution of the funds by county and a description of the use of the funds.SEC. 11.Section 10320 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed.SEC. 12.Section 10320 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:10320.(a)The Governor shall appoint an advisory committee composed of one representative from the State Board of Education, one representative of private education, one representative of child welfare, one representative of private health care, two representatives of proprietary child care agencies, one representative of a community action agency qualified under Title II of the federal Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, two representatives of family daycare homes, one representative of a child care provider exempt from licensure, five parents of children participating in child care programs of whom at least three shall be parents of children participating in publicly subsidized child development programs, and one shall be a parent of a child receiving care from a child care provider exempt from licensure, appointed from names selected by a democratic process to ensure representation of the parents of children being served, four persons representing professional or civic groups or public or nonprofit private agencies, organizations or groups concerned with child development, one person who administers a public school child care program, one person who administers a county office of education schoolage child care program, and one teacher currently serving in a public school childrens center.(b)The advisory committee also shall include one representative from the department, and one representative each from the Employment Development Department, the State Department of Education, the State Department of Health Care Services, and the State Department of Developmental Services, appointed by the respective director of each department.(c)The advisory committee shall assist the department in developing a state plan for child development programs pursuant to this chapter.(d)The advisory committee shall provide ongoing coordination and communication to strategic planning councils to facilitate activities and provide technical assistance as needed.(e)The advisory committee shall continually evaluate the effectiveness of those programs and shall report thereon at each regular session of the Legislature.(f)The advisory committee shall assist in and coordinate the drafting of guidelines for strategic planning councils pursuant to Chapter 31 (commencing with Section 10480). The advisory committee shall request state and local agencies to submit suggested guidelines. The final guidelines shall be drafted and adopted by the committee, in consultation with local child care agencies, strategic planning councils, the department, and the State Department of Education. The guidelines shall include, but not be limited to, provisions for assessing child care supply, demand, cost, and facility needs, in terms of age, family income level, special needs, and multilingual and multicultural backgrounds. Guidelines developed for programs administered by the department shall be concurred in by the department.SEC. 13.Section 10351 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10351.Before implementing the local subsidy plan, the City and County of San Francisco, in consultation with the department, shall develop an individualized county child care subsidy plan for the city and county that includes the following four elements:(a)An assessment to identify the city and countys goal for its subsidized child care system. The assessment shall examine whether the current structure of subsidized child care funding adequately supports working families in the city and county and whether the city and countys child care goals coincide with the states requirements for funding, eligibility, priority, and reimbursement. The assessment shall also identify barriers in the states child care subsidy system that inhibit the city and county from meeting its child care goals. In conducting the assessment, the city and county shall consider all of the following:(1)The general demographics of families who are in need of child care, including employment, income, language, ethnic, and family composition.(2)The current supply of available subsidized child care.(3)The level of need for various types of subsidized child care services including, but not limited to, infant care, after-hours care, and care for children with exceptional needs.(4)The city and countys self-sufficiency income level.(5)Income eligibility levels for subsidized child care.(6)Family fees.(7)The cost of providing child care.(8)The regional market rates, as established by the department, for different types of child care.(9)The standard reimbursement rate or state per diem for centers operating under contracts with the department.(10)Trends in the countys unemployment rate and housing affordability index.(b)Development of a local policy to eliminate state-imposed regulatory barriers to the city and countys achievement of its desired outcomes for subsidized child care.(1)The local policy shall do all of the following:(A)Prioritize lowest income families first.(B)Follow the family fee schedule established pursuant to Section 10290 of this code or Section 8252 of Education Code, as applicable, for those families that are income eligible, as defined by Section 10271.5 of this code or Section 8213 of the Education Code, as applicable.(C)Meet local goals that are consistent with the states child care goals.(D)Identify existing policies that would be affected by the city and countys child care subsidy plan.(E)(i)Authorize any agency that provides child care and development services in the city and county through a contract with the department to apply to the department to amend existing contracts in order to benefit from the local policy once it is adopted.(ii)The department shall approve an application to amend an existing contract if the child care subsidy plan is approved pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 10352, or modified pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 10352.(iii)The contract of a department contractor who does not elect to request an amendment to its contract remains operative and enforceable.(2)(A)The city and county shall, by the end of the first fiscal year of operation under the approved child care subsidy plan, demonstrate an increase in the aggregate child days of enrollment in the county as compared to the enrollment in the final quarter of the 200405 fiscal year.(B)The amount of the increase shall be at least equal to the aggregate child days of enrollment in the final quarter of the 200405 fiscal year for all contracts amended as provided in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1), under which the contractor receives an increase in its reimbursement rate, times 2 percent.(C)The amount of the increase shall also be proportional to the total contract maximum reimbursable amount to reflect the changes in the budget allocation for each fiscal year of the plan.(3)The local policy may supersede state law concerning child care subsidy programs with regard only to the following factors:(A)Provide a family that qualifies for the second or third stage of child care services pursuant to Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370), for purposes of eligibility, fees, and reimbursements, the same or higher level of benefit as a family that qualifies for subsidized child care on another basis pursuant to the local policy, except as otherwise provided in Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370). Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to impact or reduce any element in the second or third stage of child care services pursuant to Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370) that provides a greater benefit to participating families than is provided for in the local policy.(B)Fees including, but not limited to, family fees, sliding scale fees, and copayments for those families that are not income eligible, as defined by Section 10271.5 of this code or Section 8213 of the Education Code, as applicable.(C)Reimbursement rates, including adjustment factors identified in Section 10281.5 of this code or Section 8244 of the Education Code, as applicable.(D)Methods of maximizing the efficient use of subsidy funds, including, but not limited to, multiyear contracting with the department for center-based child care, and interagency agreements that allow for flexible and temporary transfer of funds among agencies.(c)Recognition that all funding sources utilized by direct service contractors that provide child care and development services in the city and county are eligible to be included in the child care subsidy plan of the city and county.(d)Establishment of measurable outcomes to evaluate the success of the plan to achieve the city and countys child care goals and to overcome any barriers identified in the states child care subsidy system. The department shall have an opportunity to review and comment on the proposed measurable outcomes before they are submitted to the strategic planning council for approval pursuant to Section 10352.(e)Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the city and county to change the regional market rate survey results for the city and county.(f)Nothing in this section shall allow the city and county to adopt as part of its plan an increase to the regional market reimbursement rate beyond the level provided in the Budget Act.(g)The plan may include stage one child care services in addition to alternative payment and direct service child care programs. If the plan includes CalWORKs child care, the plan administrator shall consult with their county welfare department to identify opportunities for alignment, ensuring families experience no break in their child care services due to a transition between the three stages of child care services and policies implemented in the plan.SEC. 14.Section 10352 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10352.(a)The plan shall be submitted to the strategic planning council, as defined in Section 10480, for approval. Upon approval of the plan by the strategic planning council, the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco shall hold at least one public hearing on the plan. Following the hearing, if the board of supervisors votes in favor of the plan, the plan shall be submitted to the department for review.(b)Within 30 days of receiving the plan, the department shall review and either approve or disapprove the plan.(c)Within 30 days of receiving any modification to the plan, the department shall review and either approve or disapprove that modification to the plan.(d)The department may disapprove only those portions of the plan or modifications to the plan that are not in conformance with this chapter or that are in conflict with federal law.SEC. 15.Section 10375 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10375.(a)By January 31, 1998, the State Department of Education and the State Department of Social Services shall design a form for license-exempt child care providers to use for certifying health and safety requirements to the extent required by federal law. Until the form is adopted, the information required pursuant to Section 11324 shall continue to be maintained by the county welfare department or contractor, as appropriate.(b)By January 31, 1998, the State Department of Education and the State Department of Social Services shall do both of the following:(1)Design a standard process for complaints by parents about the provision of child care that is exempt from licensure.(2)Design, in consultation with strategic planning councils, a single application for all child care programs and all families.(c)(1)County welfare departments and alternative payment programs shall encourage all providers who are licensed or who are exempt from licensure and who are providing care under Section 10371, 10372, or 10372.5 to secure training and education in basic child development.(2)Child care provider job training provided to CalWORKs recipients that is funded by either the State Department of Education or the State Department of Social Services shall include information on becoming a licensed child care provider.(d)The department shall increase consumer education and consumer awareness activities so that parents will have the information needed to seek child care of high quality. High-quality child care shall include both licensed and license-exempt care.SEC. 16.Section 10376 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10376.(a)County welfare departments and alternative payment programs shall provide to the department and the strategic planning council, on a monthly basis, data about child care usage and demand in each of the three stages. The department shall forward this data quarterly to the Department of Finance and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for fiscal planning.(b)By January 10 of each year, the Department of Finance shall present to the respective legislative budget committees an estimate of the cost of funding the expected demand for child care as described in subdivision (a) of Section 10371 and Sections 10372 and 10372.5.SEC. 17.The heading of Chapter 31 (commencing with Section 10480) of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:31.Strategic Planning CouncilsSEC. 18.Section 10480 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10480.For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:(a)Child care means all licensed child care and development services, early childhood education services, and license-exempt child care, including, but not limited to, private for-profit programs, nonprofit programs, and publicly funded programs, for all children up to and including 12 years of age, including children with exceptional needs and children from all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.(b)Child care provider means a person who provides child care services or represents persons who provide child care services.(c)Consumer means a parent or person who receives, or who has received within the past 36 months, child care services.(d)Strategic planning council means a local child care and development planning council, as described in Section 10485.SEC. 19.The heading of Article 2 (commencing with Section 10485) of Chapter 31 of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:2.Membership and Funding of Strategic Planning CouncilsSEC. 20.Section 10485 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed.SEC. 21.Section 10485 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:10485.(a)It is the intent of the Legislature that strategic local child care and development planning councils shall provide a forum to identify local priorities for child care and to develop policies to meet the needs identified within those priorities, and shall seek to create a local system of support for child care. (b)(1)The strategic planning council shall be comprised as follows:(A)One representative from a resource and referral agency in the county. This representative shall be appointed by a majority vote of all resource and referral agencies in the county.(B)One representative from an alternative payment provider in the county. This representative shall be appointed by a majority vote of all alternative payment providers in the county.(C)One representative from the local First 5 county commission.(D)One representative from the county office of education.(E)One representative from a school district that provides transitional kindergarten within the county.(F)One representative from the county board of supervisors.(G)One representative from the county human services department.(H)One representative from the parent advisory committee established pursuant to paragraph (5). This representative shall be appointed by a majority vote of the members of the parent advisory committee.(I)One representative from the provider advisory committee established pursuant to paragraph (6). This representative shall be appointed by a majority vote of the members of the provider advisory committee.(J)One representative of a local postsecondary educational institution that receives state or federal funds and offers a degree, training, or professional development courses in child care, child development, or preschool.(K)Other local government agencies, such as health services, human services, social services, regional centers, school districts, and special education local plan areas, that provide services to children from birth to 12 years of age, inclusive.(L)Other representatives, at the discretion of the strategic planning council.(2)Notwithstanding any other law, one individual may represent more than one of the categories identified in subparagraphs (A) to (I), inclusive, of paragraph (1).(3)The members of the strategic planning council shall serve a term of three years.(4)(A)The representative identified in subparagraph (J) of paragraph (1) shall be nominated by a majority vote of the other members of the strategic planning council and shall be appointed by the county board of supervisors or the county superintendent of schools.(B)The county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools may each appoint one-half of the members nominated pursuant to subparagraphs (K) and (L) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b). If there is an uneven number of appointees, the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools shall agree on the odd-numbered appointee.(5)The parent advisory committee shall be made up of consumers and may include, but is not limited to, the following members:(A)One consumer who receives services from a family child care home provider or a family, friend, or neighbor provider.(B)One consumer who receives services from a child care center provider.(C)One consumer who receives services from a transitional kindergarten provider.(D)One consumer who represents a tribal organization who receives services from a child care provider.(E)One consumer who is a parent of a child with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 8208, who receives services from a child care provider.(F)One consumer who receives services from an after school program.(6)The provider advisory committee may include, but is not limited to, the following members:(A)One family child care home provider or a family, friend, or neighbor provider.(B)One child care provider licensed pursuant to Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.(C)One child care provider licensed pursuant to Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.(D)One Head Start provider.(E)One representative from a labor union that represents child care providers in the county.(F)One representative from a child care provider experienced in providing services to children with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, in a full inclusion environment.(G)One representative from a child care provider experienced in providing services to children of migrant families.(c)Every effort shall be made to ensure that the ethnic, racial, and geographic composition of the strategic planning council is reflective of the ethnic, racial, and geographic distribution of the population of the county.(d)The county board of supervisors and county superintendent of schools may designate an existing child care planning council or coordinated child and family services council as the strategic planning council, as long as it has or can achieve the representation set forth in this section.(e)Upon establishment of a strategic planning council, the strategic planning council shall elect a chair and select a staff.(f)Each strategic planning council shall develop and implement a training plan to provide increased efficiency, productivity, and facilitation of strategic planning council meetings. This may include developing a training manual, hiring facilitators, and identifying strategies to meet the objectives of the council.(g)A member of a strategic planning council shall not participate in a vote if the member has a proprietary interest in the outcome of the matter being voted upon.(h)Notwithstanding any other law, the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools may mutually agree to merge the strategic planning council and the Quality Rating and Improvement System local consortia, as defined in Section 8203.1 of the Education Code, as long as it can achieve the representation set forth in this section.(i)(1)Notwithstanding any other law, the county boards of supervisors and the county superintendents of schools in two or more contiguous counties may mutually agree to merge their strategic planning councils, as long as it can achieve the representation set forth in this section.(2)If two or more counties choose to exercise the option to merge their strategic planning councils pursuant to paragraph (1), the strategic planning council shall make every effort to ensure that meetings and stakeholder forums are accessible to consumers and providers in all of the counties that the strategic planning council represents. This may be achieved by alternating the location of meetings between the counties, hosting meetings at a central point between the counties, or live broadcasting strategic planning council meetings at multiple locations within the counties.SEC. 22.Section 10486 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10486.(a)The department shall allocate child care funding pursuant to this part based on the amount of state and federal funding that is available.(b)By May 30 of each year, upon approval by the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools, a strategic planning council shall submit to the department and the State Department of Education its local priorities, identified by ZIP Code and prioritized by the strategic planning council according to greatest child care needs in the county. To accomplish this, a strategic planning council shall do both of the following:(1)Encourage public input in the development of the strategic planning councils local priorities. Opportunities for public input shall include at least one public hearing during which members of the public can comment on the proposed priorities.(2)Collaborate with subsidized and nonsubsidized child care providers, county welfare departments, human service agencies, regional centers, job training programs, employers, integrated child and family service councils, local and state children and families commissions, parent organizations, early start family resource centers, family empowerment centers on disability, local child care resource and referral programs, and other interested parties to foster partnerships designed to meet local child care needs.(c)(1)A strategic planning council shall conduct an assessment of child care needs in the county no less frequently than once every five years. The department shall define and prescribe data elements to be included in the needs assessment and shall specify the format for the data reporting. Beginning in 2027, the strategic planning council shall use the needs assessment template developed by the department in collaboration with the strategic planning councils. The needs assessment shall be submitted to the department by May 30 of each year in which it is due.(2)The State Department of Public Health, local departments of social services and welfare, local regional centers, special education local plan areas, and local resource and referral agencies shall provide to the department the information necessary for strategic planning councils to complete the needs assessment.(3)The department shall, in conjunction with all appropriate statewide agencies and associations, develop guidelines for use by strategic planning councils to assist them in conducting needs assessments that are reliable and accurate. The guidelines shall include acceptable sources of demographic and child care data, and methodologies for assessing child care supply and demand.(4)The department shall allocate funding within each county in accordance with the priorities identified by the strategic planning council of that county and submitted to the department pursuant to this section, unless the priorities do not meet the requirements of state or federal law.SEC. 23.Section 10486.5 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:10486.5.(a)(1)On or before March 30, 2027, and every three years thereafter, a strategic planning council shall develop and submit to the county board of supervisors and the county board of education a strategic plan and investment priorities using the template that shall be adopted by the department in collaboration with the strategic planning councils and First 5 California. Before the strategic plan and investment priorities can be submitted for approval, the strategic planning council shall do all of the following:(A)Post the most recent needs assessment developed pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 10486 on the strategic planning councils internet website and share the needs assessment with all school districts in the county no later than January 1 of each year in which a strategic plan and investment priorities will be submitted.(B)Seek input from the parent advisory committee and the provider advisory committee established pursuant to Section 10485.(C)Identify existing publicly owned facilities that could house a child care program. The strategic planning council shall periodically survey school districts, county offices of education, and city and county governments to identify sites that could house a child care program and the modifications that each site would need to meet child care health and safety requirements.(D)Encourage public input in the development of the strategic plan and investment priorities. Opportunities for public input shall include at least one public hearing during which members of the public can comment on the proposed strategic plan and investment priorities before submission to the county board of supervisors and the county board of education.(2)The strategic plan shall address facility needs, workforce needs, family access, and quality and transition planning. The investment priorities shall identify priorities for the county board of supervisors, the county board of education, and the Legislature.(3)The county board of supervisors and the county board of education shall hold public hearings on the proposed strategic plan and investment priorities at a regularly scheduled meeting. The hearings shall be held before adoption of the strategic plan and investment priorities and may be no sooner than three days after the proposed strategic plan and investment priorities are posted on the strategic planning councils internet website. The county board of supervisors and the county board of education shall each approve the strategic plan and investment priorities no later than July 1 of each year in which a strategic plan and investment priorities are submitted.(4)A strategic plan and investment priorities shall be effective for a period of three years and shall be updated each intervening year by March 30.(b)At least twice each year, a strategic planning council shall convene a forum for stakeholders to provide input to and receive updates from the Quality Rating and Improvement System local consortium, as defined in Section 8203.1 of the Education Code.(c)A strategic planning council shall work with the county office of education, special education local plan areas, and the school districts and regional centers in the county to facilitate the transition of children with exceptional needs into the K12 system.(d)The operation of this section is contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act for purposes of this section. SEC. 24.Section 10487 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10487.It is the intent of the Legislature that any additional conditions imposed upon strategic planning councils shall be funded from available federal funds to the greatest extent legally possible.SEC. 25.Section 10492.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10492.2.(a)(1)The State Department of Social Services, in consultation with the State Department of Education, shall convene a public workgroup to provide recommendations to the State Department of Social Services for the development of the Framework, the Equity Tool, and recommended uses of the Equity Tool for early childhood investments and whole child resources to address racial and economic inequities for Californias youngest children.(2)The workgroup shall include parents and families from historically underserved communities and shall include, but not be limited to, other stakeholders that bring insight to support the whole child, which may include practitioners, experts, researchers, or advocates in childcare and development, physical and mental health, childhood adversity, family support and engagement, community safety, economic well-being, and built environments, representatives from First 5 California and local First 5 commissions, representatives of duly designated collective bargaining agents of family childcare home providers, and representatives from resource and referral agencies, strategic planning councils, and county offices of education. Workgroup members shall reflect the racial, ethnic, linguistic, and economic diversities of the State of California and represent the interests of individuals who are Black, Latinx, and Indigenous, people of color, multilingual communities, LGBTQIA+ families, children with disabilities, and families from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities that have been disproportionately marginalized. The workgroup shall provide updates to the Early Childhood Policy Council to ensure that the council is informed on the workgroups recommendations.(3)The workgroup is subject to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).(b)On or before January 1, 2025, with input from the workgroup, the State Department of Social Services shall finalize and present the Framework, the Equity Tool, and recommended uses of the Equity Tool to the Legislature. The Framework and the Equity Tool shall be used to build on the existing strengths of communities and support them to address their critical needs of young children.(c)The State Department of Social Services shall publish the tool for public use, including the data and methodology, on the departments internet website.SEC. 26.If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

 Amended IN  Assembly  April 10, 2025 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 563Introduced by Assembly Member JacksonFebruary 12, 2025 An act to amend Sections 8203.1, 8263, 8281.5, 8285, and 8320 of the Education Code, and to amend Sections 10203, 10219, 10305.5, 10309.1, 10309.7, 10351, 10352, 10375, 10376, 10480, 10486, 10487, and 10492.2 of, to amend the heading of Chapter 31 (commencing with Section 10480) of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of, to amend the heading of Article 2 (commencing with Section 10485) of Chapter 31 of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of, to add Section 10486.5 to, and to repeal and add Sections 10320 and 10485 of, Section 10320 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to childcare. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAB 563, as amended, Jackson. Childcare: strategic planning councils. Early Childhood Policy Council.Existing law establishes the Early Childhood Policy Council to advise the Governor, the Legislature, and the State Department of Social Services on statewide early learning and care policy. Existing law imposes various duties on the council, including, among others, requiring the council to prepare a formal public annual report on the work of the council and providing specific recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on all aspects of the states early childhood education system.This bill would require the council to submit a report, on an annual basis, to the Legislature and specified committees of the Legislature that includes, at a minimum, the successes, challenges, and gaps in the states childhood education systems and recommendations to facilitate advancing the states vision for children, families, and communities. The bill would also require the council to develop policy proposals and budget requests for the Legislature to consider related to facility needs, workforce needs, and family access.Existing law requires the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools to select members for the local childcare and development planning council, known as a local planning council, for that county. Existing law provides requirements for the makeup of a local planning council. Existing law requires a local planning council, by May 30 of each year, and upon approval by the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools, to submit to the State Department of Education the local priorities it has identified that reflect all childcare needs in the county, and requires the local planning council, in order to identify those local priorities, to do certain things, including, among others, encourage public input in the development of the priorities, collaborate with specified entities to foster partnerships designed to meet local childcare needs, and conduct an assessment of childcare needs in the county at least once every 5 years. Existing law defines childcare for purposes of these provisions to mean all licensed childcare and development services and license-exempt childcare for all children up to and including 12 years of age, as provided.This bill would rename local planning council to strategic planning council and would revise the definition of childcare to include early childhood education services. The bill would revise the makeup requirements for strategic planning councils, as provided. The bill would authorize a county board of supervisors and a county superintendent of schools to merge the strategic planning council with the Quality Rating and Improvement System local consortia or with another strategic planning council in a contiguous county under certain conditions, as provided. The bill would repeal all of the requirements imposed on strategic planning councils in order for the strategic planning council to identify local priorities, except those listed above, as provided. The bill would require the needs assessment to be due by May 30 of each year in which it is due, and would require a strategic planning council, beginning in 2027, to use the needs assessment template developed by the department in collaboration with the strategic planning councils. The bill would require specified state and local entities to provide to the department the information necessary for a strategic planning council to complete the needs assessment, and would require the department to share data and information necessary to complete the needs assessment with strategic planning councils and counties implementing individualized county childcare subsidy plans.The bill would require a strategic planning council, on or before March 30, 2027, and every 3 years thereafter, to develop and submit to the county board of supervisors and the county board of education a strategic plan and investment priorities, and would require the strategic plan to address facility needs, workforce needs, family access, and quality and transition planning, as provided. The bill would require the county board of supervisors and the county board of education to hold public hearings on the proposed strategic plan and investment priorities at a regularly scheduled meeting. The bill would require a strategic planning council, at least twice each year, to convene a forum for stakeholders to provide input to and receive updates from the Quality Rating and Improvement System local consortium. The bill would require a strategic planning council to work with the county office of education, special education local plan areas, and the school districts and regional centers in the county to facilitate the transition of children with exceptional needs into the K12 system. By imposing new duties on strategic planning councils and specified local entities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would provide that the operation of these provisions is contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act for these purposes.The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY  Appropriation: NO  Fiscal Committee: YES  Local Program: YESNO 

 Amended IN  Assembly  April 10, 2025

Amended IN  Assembly  April 10, 2025

 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION

 Assembly Bill 

No. 563

Introduced by Assembly Member JacksonFebruary 12, 2025

Introduced by Assembly Member Jackson
February 12, 2025

 An act to amend Sections 8203.1, 8263, 8281.5, 8285, and 8320 of the Education Code, and to amend Sections 10203, 10219, 10305.5, 10309.1, 10309.7, 10351, 10352, 10375, 10376, 10480, 10486, 10487, and 10492.2 of, to amend the heading of Chapter 31 (commencing with Section 10480) of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of, to amend the heading of Article 2 (commencing with Section 10485) of Chapter 31 of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of, to add Section 10486.5 to, and to repeal and add Sections 10320 and 10485 of, Section 10320 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to childcare. 

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 563, as amended, Jackson. Childcare: strategic planning councils. Early Childhood Policy Council.

Existing law establishes the Early Childhood Policy Council to advise the Governor, the Legislature, and the State Department of Social Services on statewide early learning and care policy. Existing law imposes various duties on the council, including, among others, requiring the council to prepare a formal public annual report on the work of the council and providing specific recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on all aspects of the states early childhood education system.This bill would require the council to submit a report, on an annual basis, to the Legislature and specified committees of the Legislature that includes, at a minimum, the successes, challenges, and gaps in the states childhood education systems and recommendations to facilitate advancing the states vision for children, families, and communities. The bill would also require the council to develop policy proposals and budget requests for the Legislature to consider related to facility needs, workforce needs, and family access.Existing law requires the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools to select members for the local childcare and development planning council, known as a local planning council, for that county. Existing law provides requirements for the makeup of a local planning council. Existing law requires a local planning council, by May 30 of each year, and upon approval by the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools, to submit to the State Department of Education the local priorities it has identified that reflect all childcare needs in the county, and requires the local planning council, in order to identify those local priorities, to do certain things, including, among others, encourage public input in the development of the priorities, collaborate with specified entities to foster partnerships designed to meet local childcare needs, and conduct an assessment of childcare needs in the county at least once every 5 years. Existing law defines childcare for purposes of these provisions to mean all licensed childcare and development services and license-exempt childcare for all children up to and including 12 years of age, as provided.This bill would rename local planning council to strategic planning council and would revise the definition of childcare to include early childhood education services. The bill would revise the makeup requirements for strategic planning councils, as provided. The bill would authorize a county board of supervisors and a county superintendent of schools to merge the strategic planning council with the Quality Rating and Improvement System local consortia or with another strategic planning council in a contiguous county under certain conditions, as provided. The bill would repeal all of the requirements imposed on strategic planning councils in order for the strategic planning council to identify local priorities, except those listed above, as provided. The bill would require the needs assessment to be due by May 30 of each year in which it is due, and would require a strategic planning council, beginning in 2027, to use the needs assessment template developed by the department in collaboration with the strategic planning councils. The bill would require specified state and local entities to provide to the department the information necessary for a strategic planning council to complete the needs assessment, and would require the department to share data and information necessary to complete the needs assessment with strategic planning councils and counties implementing individualized county childcare subsidy plans.The bill would require a strategic planning council, on or before March 30, 2027, and every 3 years thereafter, to develop and submit to the county board of supervisors and the county board of education a strategic plan and investment priorities, and would require the strategic plan to address facility needs, workforce needs, family access, and quality and transition planning, as provided. The bill would require the county board of supervisors and the county board of education to hold public hearings on the proposed strategic plan and investment priorities at a regularly scheduled meeting. The bill would require a strategic planning council, at least twice each year, to convene a forum for stakeholders to provide input to and receive updates from the Quality Rating and Improvement System local consortium. The bill would require a strategic planning council to work with the county office of education, special education local plan areas, and the school districts and regional centers in the county to facilitate the transition of children with exceptional needs into the K12 system. By imposing new duties on strategic planning councils and specified local entities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would provide that the operation of these provisions is contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act for these purposes.The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Existing law establishes the Early Childhood Policy Council to advise the Governor, the Legislature, and the State Department of Social Services on statewide early learning and care policy. Existing law imposes various duties on the council, including, among others, requiring the council to prepare a formal public annual report on the work of the council and providing specific recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on all aspects of the states early childhood education system.

This bill would require the council to submit a report, on an annual basis, to the Legislature and specified committees of the Legislature that includes, at a minimum, the successes, challenges, and gaps in the states childhood education systems and recommendations to facilitate advancing the states vision for children, families, and communities. The bill would also require the council to develop policy proposals and budget requests for the Legislature to consider related to facility needs, workforce needs, and family access.

Existing law requires the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools to select members for the local childcare and development planning council, known as a local planning council, for that county. Existing law provides requirements for the makeup of a local planning council. Existing law requires a local planning council, by May 30 of each year, and upon approval by the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools, to submit to the State Department of Education the local priorities it has identified that reflect all childcare needs in the county, and requires the local planning council, in order to identify those local priorities, to do certain things, including, among others, encourage public input in the development of the priorities, collaborate with specified entities to foster partnerships designed to meet local childcare needs, and conduct an assessment of childcare needs in the county at least once every 5 years. Existing law defines childcare for purposes of these provisions to mean all licensed childcare and development services and license-exempt childcare for all children up to and including 12 years of age, as provided.



This bill would rename local planning council to strategic planning council and would revise the definition of childcare to include early childhood education services. The bill would revise the makeup requirements for strategic planning councils, as provided. The bill would authorize a county board of supervisors and a county superintendent of schools to merge the strategic planning council with the Quality Rating and Improvement System local consortia or with another strategic planning council in a contiguous county under certain conditions, as provided. The bill would repeal all of the requirements imposed on strategic planning councils in order for the strategic planning council to identify local priorities, except those listed above, as provided. The bill would require the needs assessment to be due by May 30 of each year in which it is due, and would require a strategic planning council, beginning in 2027, to use the needs assessment template developed by the department in collaboration with the strategic planning councils. The bill would require specified state and local entities to provide to the department the information necessary for a strategic planning council to complete the needs assessment, and would require the department to share data and information necessary to complete the needs assessment with strategic planning councils and counties implementing individualized county childcare subsidy plans.



The bill would require a strategic planning council, on or before March 30, 2027, and every 3 years thereafter, to develop and submit to the county board of supervisors and the county board of education a strategic plan and investment priorities, and would require the strategic plan to address facility needs, workforce needs, family access, and quality and transition planning, as provided. The bill would require the county board of supervisors and the county board of education to hold public hearings on the proposed strategic plan and investment priorities at a regularly scheduled meeting. The bill would require a strategic planning council, at least twice each year, to convene a forum for stakeholders to provide input to and receive updates from the Quality Rating and Improvement System local consortium. The bill would require a strategic planning council to work with the county office of education, special education local plan areas, and the school districts and regional centers in the county to facilitate the transition of children with exceptional needs into the K12 system. By imposing new duties on strategic planning councils and specified local entities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would provide that the operation of these provisions is contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act for these purposes.



The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.



This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.



## Digest Key

## Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. Section 10320 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10320. (a) The Early Childhood Policy Council is hereby established to advise the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on statewide early learning and care policy, including the planning for, and the implementation and evaluation of, the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the 2019 California Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report.(b) (1) The council shall maintain at least two ongoing standing advisory committees: a parent advisory committee appointed pursuant to subdivision (e) and a workforce advisory committee appointed pursuant to subdivision (f).(2) The council shall include 27 members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Fourteen members appointed by the Governor, including those required pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code. One of the Governors appointees shall be the chairperson of the council.(B) Four members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.(C) Four members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.(D) One member appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.(E) Two members of the parent advisory committee, appointed by that committee.(F) Two members of the workforce advisory committee, appointed by that committee.(3) Members of the council shall include stakeholder representatives reflecting the comprehensive child care system; represent the ethnic, racial, and language diversity of the state; and represent geographic diversity and those communities separated from opportunity due to poverty, racial bias, language, geographic isolation, disability, and other factors.(4) Members of the council shall serve no longer than six years.(5) To the extent funding for the council is provided in the annual Budget Act, language interpretation services shall be provided at convenings of the council and its committees to ensure language access and meaningful participation.(6) To the extent funding for the council is provided in the annual Budget Act, members of the council or its committees who are provider participants or parent representatives shall be reimbursed as necessary for their reasonable expenses, including travel, a stipend to cover child care costs, lost wages, and expenses for substitutes for attending council meetings.(c) The council shall do all of the following:(1) Convene at least four public meetings per year. These meetings shall provide access for participants throughout the state.(2) Advise the Governor and perform activities required pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code.(3) Prepare a formal public annual report on the work of the council.(4) Provide specific recommendations directly to the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on all aspects of the states early childhood education system, including on the following topics:(A) Equity, with consideration for demographic, geographic, and economic diversity, and with a focus on family-centered two-generation approaches.(B) Opportunities to incorporate a support model of accountability, as opposed to a compliance model of accountability, into the states early childhood education system.(C) Ways that the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the 2019 California Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report can be updated and improved.(5) (A) Submit a report to the Legislature, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Assembly Committee on Human Services, and the Senate Committee on Human Services on an annual basis that includes, at a minimum, the successes, challenges, and gaps in the states childhood education systems and recommendations to facilitate advancing the states vision for children, families, and communities.(B) A report to be submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.(6) Develop policy proposals and budget requests for the Legislature to consider related to facility needs, workforce needs, and family access.(d) Staff for the council and its committees shall be provided by the California Health and Human Services Agency. From funding appropriated for purposes of this section, up to three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) may be used by the California Health and Human Services Agency for the costs to provide staff for the council and its committees.(e) (1) The parent advisory committee shall be a standing committee of the council.(2) The parent advisory committee shall include nine members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Three members appointed by the Governor, including one consumer who receives services from a child care center provider, one consumer who is on a subsidy waiting list at the time of the appointment, and one consumer who is a parent of a child with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, who receives services from a child care provider.(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, including one consumer who receives services from a family child care home provider or a family, friend, or neighbor provider, one consumer who is a current or former CalWORKs child care recipient, and one consumer who is connected to the child welfare system.(C) Three members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, including one consumer who receives services from a transitional kindergarten provider, one consumer who represents a tribal organization who receives services from a child care provider, and one consumer who pays privately for child care.(3) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the parent advisory committee.(4) If a person cannot be found to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2), the appointing authority may designate an alternate committee member.(5) The parent advisory committee shall provide recommendations to the council and other entities on all aspects of early childhood education, including all of the following:(A) Equity, access, and best practices for engaging families.(B) Creating warm and welcoming care environments.(C) How to develop local and state partnerships to support the best outcomes for families that interact with the states early childhood education system.(f) (1) The workforce advisory committee shall be a standing committee of the council.(2) The workforce advisory committee shall include nine members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Three members appointed by the Governor, including one licensed family child care home provider, one center-based child care director from a subsidized child care program, and one representative from a statewide organization representing child care providers.(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, including one family, friend, or neighbor child care provider, one representative from a Head Start program provider, and one representative from a community college that operates a program that provides early child care education coursework and laboratory school experience.(C) Three members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, including one representative from a child care provider experienced in providing services to children with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, in a full-inclusion environment, one center-based child care teacher from a subsidized child care program, and one provider who provides services to children from a tribal organization.(3) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the workforce advisory committee.(4) If a person cannot be found to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2), the appointing authority may designate an alternate committee member.(5) The workforce advisory committee shall provide recommendations to the council and other entities on all aspects of early childhood education on an ongoing basis.SECTION 1.Section 8203.1 of the Education Code is amended to read:8203.1.(a)The Superintendent shall administer a QRIS block grant, pursuant to an appropriation made for that purpose in the annual Budget Act, to be allocated to local consortia for support of local early learning quality rating and improvement systems that increase the number of low-income children in high-quality preschool programs that prepare those children for success in school and life.(b)(1)For purposes of this section, early learning quality rating and improvement system or QRIS is defined as a locally determined system for continuous quality improvement based on a tiered rating structure with progressively higher quality standards for each tier that provides supports and incentives for programs, teachers, and administrators to reach higher levels of quality, monitors and evaluates the impacts on child outcomes, and disseminates information to parents and the public about program quality.(2)For purposes of this section, local consortium is defined as a local or regional entity, administered by a lead agency, that convenes a planning body that designs and implements a QRIS. A local consortium shall include representatives from organizations including, but not limited to, all of the following:(A)Local educational agencies.(B)First 5 county commissions.(C)Higher educational institutions.(D)Strategic planning councils.(E)Local resource and referral agencies.(F)Alternative payment programs.(G)Other local agencies, as appropriate, which may include, but are not limited to, nonprofit organizations, that provide services to children from birth to five years of age, inclusive, tribal representatives, childcare licensing regional offices, special education local plan area, the county social services department, the local public health department, the local behavioral health department, regional centers, and Head Start and Early Head Start grantees.(3)For purposes of this section, quality continuum framework means the tiered rating matrix created and adopted by a local consortium for purposes of implementing a QRIS. The tiered rating matrix shall include three common tiers shared by all participating local consortia. Changes to the common tiers shall be approved and adopted by all participating local consortia.(c)The QRIS block grant shall build on local consortia and other local QRIS work in existence on or before the operative date of this section.(d)For the 201415 fiscal year, if a county or region has an established local consortium that has adopted a quality continuum framework, the local consortiums lead administering agency shall be provided the first opportunity to apply for a QRIS block grant.(e)Local consortia shall do all of the following to be eligible for a QRIS block grant:(1)Implement a QRIS that incorporates evidence-based elements and tools in the quality continuum framework that are tailored to the local conditions and enhanced with local resources.(2)Set ambitious yet achievable targets for California state preschool program contracting agencies participation in the QRIS with the goal of achieving the highest common tier, as the tier existed on June 1, 2014, or a higher level of quality.(3)Develop an action plan that includes a continuous quality improvement process that is tied to improving child outcomes.(4)Describe how QRIS block grant funds will be used to increase the number of sites achieving the highest common local tier and to directly support classrooms that have achieved the highest common tier, as that tier existed on June 1, 2014, or a higher level of quality.(5)Develop information and resources that help families understand why preschool matters and how to identify a quality preschool program that meets the needs of the family.(f)The Superintendent, in consultation with the executive director of the state board, shall allocate QRIS block grant funds to local consortia that satisfy the requirements of subdivision (e) based on the number of California state preschool program slots within the county or region.(g)(1)Local consortia receiving QRIS block grant funds shall allocate those funds to contracting agencies of the California state preschool program, as established by Article 2 (commencing with Section 8207), or local educational agencies, for activities that support and improve quality, and assess quality and access. In allocating the QRIS block grant funds, priority shall be given to directly supporting the classrooms of the California state preschool program sites that have achieved the highest common local tier of quality.(2)No more than 20 percent of a local consortiums QRIS block grant funds may be used for assessment and access projects.(h)A family childcare home education network that provides California state preschool program services shall be eligible for an allocation from a local consortium of QRIS block grant funds for activities that support, improve, and assess quality.SEC. 2.Section 8263 of the Education Code is amended to read:8263.(a)The department shall disburse augmentations to the base allocation for the expansion of preschool programs to promote equal access to preschool services across the state.(b)(1)In order to provide progress towards achieving access to full-day, full-year preschool services for all income-eligible four-year-old children and to promote access for all income-eligible four-year-old children to attend at least a part-day California state preschool program, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall, in awarding new funding appropriated by the Legislature, in any fiscal year, for the expansion of California state preschool programs, use the formula developed pursuant to subdivision (c) and may use the priorities identified by strategic planning councils, as provided for in Section 10486 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and other high-quality data resources available to the department.(2)Expansion funding awarded pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be apportioned at the rate described in Section 8242 and as determined in the annual Budget Act.(3)A family childcare home education network shall be eligible to apply for expansion funding awarded pursuant to paragraph (1).(c)The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall develop a formula for prioritizing the disbursement of augmentations pursuant to this section. The formula shall give priority to allocating funds to underserved areas. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall develop the formula by using the definition of underserved area in Section 8205 and direct impact indicators of need for preschool services in the county or subcounty areas. For purposes of this section, subcounty areas include, but are not limited to, school districts, census tracts, or ZIP Code areas that are deemed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to be most appropriate to the type of program receiving an augmentation. Direct impact indicators of need may include, but are not limited to, the teenage pregnancy rate, the unemployment rate, area household income, or the number or percentage of families receiving public assistance, eligible for Medi-Cal, or eligible for free or reduced-price school meals, and any unique characteristics of the population served by the type of program receiving an augmentation.(d)To promote equal access to services and allocate resources equitably, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall develop a process for identifying underserved areas and populations within counties. This guidance shall include reference to the direct impact indicators of need described in subdivision (c).(e)This section does not preclude a local educational agency from subcontracting with an appropriate public or private agency to operate a California state preschool program, subject to Section 18140 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, and to apply for funds made available pursuant to this section. If a school district chooses not to operate or subcontract for a California state preschool program, the Superintendent shall work with the county office of education and other eligible agencies to explore possible opportunities in contracting or alternative subcontracting to provide a California state preschool program.(f)This section does not prevent eligible children who are receiving services from continuing to receive those services pursuant to this chapter in future years.SEC. 3.Section 8281.5 of the Education Code is amended to read:8281.5.(a)The California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program is hereby established as a state early learning initiative with the goal of expanding access to classroom-based prekindergarten programs at local educational agencies.(b)For the 202122 fiscal year, the sum of three hundred million dollars ($300,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department for allocation to local educational agencies for the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program pursuant to this section. These funds shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2024.(c)(1)Of the total amount appropriated under subdivision (b), the Superintendent shall allocate two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) in the 202122 fiscal year to local educational agencies as follows:(A)A minimum base grant to all local educational agencies that operate kindergarten programs as determined using California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment from the 202021 certification, as follows:(i)For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 1 to 23 pupils, inclusive, the minimum base grant shall be twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).(ii)For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 24 to 99 pupils, inclusive, the minimum base grant shall be fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).(iii)For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 100 or more pupils, the minimum base grant shall be one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000).(B)A minimum base grant for each county office of education of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for each local educational agency in their county that operates kindergarten programs to support countywide planning and capacity building.(C)Of the remaining funds after allocations under subparagraphs (A) and (B):(i)Sixty percent shall be available as enrollment grants. These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agencys proportional share of total California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment for the 201920 fiscal year, as applied to the total amount of program funds available for the enrollment grant. For purposes of this clause, the total statewide kindergarten enrollment shall be calculated using the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 201920 fiscal year for each local educational agency.(ii)Forty percent shall be available as supplemental grants. These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agencys California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 201920 fiscal year, multiplied by the local educational agencys unduplicated pupil percentage, as calculated pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02 or subdivision (b) of Section 2574 certified as of the second principal apportionment. Funds for this purpose shall be distributed percent-to-total from funds available for the supplemental grant.(D)Notwithstanding any other law, any kindergarten enrollment reported by a county office of education shall be attributed to the school district of geographic residence.(2)Grant funds may be used for costs associated with creating or expanding California state preschool programs or transitional kindergarten programs, or to establish or strengthen partnerships with other providers of prekindergarten education within the local educational agency, including Head Start programs, to ensure that high-quality options for prekindergarten education are available for four-year-old children. Allowable costs include, but are not necessarily limited to, planning costs, hiring and recruitment costs, staff training and professional development, classroom materials, and supplies.(3)Local educational agencies receiving grants pursuant to this subdivision shall do both of the following:(A)Commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the Superintendent, including, but not limited to, recipient information and participating in overall program evaluation.(B)Develop a plan for consideration by the governing board or body at a public meeting on or before June 30, 2022, for how all children in the attendance area of the local educational agency will have access to full-day learning programs the year before kindergarten that meet the needs of parents, including through partnerships with the local educational agencys expanding learning offerings, the After School Education and Safety Program, the California state preschool program, Head Start programs, and other community-based early learning and care programs.(4)(A)Funds that are allocated or awarded pursuant to this subdivision shall be expended by June 30, 2026. The department shall then initiate collection proceedings for unexpended funds.(B)The department shall initiate collection proceedings for grant funds used by local educational agencies in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of this section, including, but not limited to, failing to submit all required data pursuant to paragraph (3).(C)The department may allocate or prorate any returned or collected funds pursuant to this subdivision for the purposes provided in subdivision (e).(d)(1)For the 202223 fiscal year, the sum of three hundred million dollars ($300,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department for allocation to local educational agencies for the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program pursuant to this section. These funds shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2026. The Superintendent shall allocate funds to local educational agencies as follows:(A)A minimum base grant to all local educational agencies that operate kindergarten programs, as determined using California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment from the 202122 certification, as follows:(i)For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 1 to 500 pupils, inclusive, the minimum base grant shall be twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).(ii)For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 501 or more pupils, the minimum base grant shall be fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).(B)A minimum base grant for each county office of education of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for each local educational agency in their county that operates kindergarten programs to support countywide planning and capacity building.(C)Of the funds remaining after the allocations pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B):(i)Sixty percent shall be available as enrollment grants. These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agencys proportional share of total California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment for the 202122 fiscal year, as applied to the total amount of program funds available for the enrollment grant. For purposes of this clause, the total statewide kindergarten enrollment shall be calculated using the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 202021 fiscal year for each local educational agency.(ii)Forty percent shall be available as supplemental grants. These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agencys California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 202021 fiscal year, multiplied by the local educational agencys unduplicated pupil percentage, as calculated pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02 or subdivision (b) of Section 2574, as applicable, and certified as of the second principal apportionment. Funds for this purpose shall be distributed percent-to-total from funds available for the supplemental grant.(D)Notwithstanding any other law, any kindergarten enrollment reported by a county office of education shall be attributed to the school district of geographic residence.(2)Grant funds may be used for costs associated with creating or expanding California state preschool programs or transitional kindergarten programs, or to establish or strengthen partnerships with other providers of prekindergarten education within the local educational agency, including Head Start programs, to ensure that high-quality options for prekindergarten education are available for children four years of age. Allowable costs shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, classroom operating costs, planning costs, hiring and recruitment costs, staff training and professional development, classroom materials, and supplies.(3)Local educational agencies receiving grants pursuant to this subdivision shall do all of the following:(A)Commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the Superintendent, including, but not limited to, recipient information and participating in overall program evaluation.(B)If the local educational agency did not develop the plan required pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), develop a plan for consideration by the governing board or body at a public meeting on or before March 30, 2023, for how all children in the attendance area of the local educational agency will have access to full-day learning programs the year before kindergarten that meet the needs of parents, including through partnerships with the local educational agencys expanding learning offerings, the After School Education and Safety Program, the California state preschool program, Head Start programs, and other community-based early learning and care programs. A plan developed pursuant to this subparagraph satisfies the requirements of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c).(C)Ensure expenditures are consistent with their local plan adopted pursuant to subdivision (c).(D)Commit to planning with their countys strategic planning council, local tribes, and the California state preschool program and Head Start program providers in their region.(E)Offer transitional kindergarten to all eligible pupils interested in transitional kindergarten within their attendance area by the 202526 school year.(4)(A)Funds allocated or awarded pursuant to this subdivision shall be expended by June 30, 2026. The department shall then initiate collection proceedings for unexpended funds.(B)The department may allocate or prorate any returned or collected funds pursuant to this subdivision for the purposes provided in subdivision (e).(5)The department shall initiate collection proceedings for grant funds used by local educational agencies in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of this section, including, but not limited to, failing to submit all required data pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3).(e)(1)(A)Of the total amount appropriated under subdivision (b), the Superintendent shall award one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) in competitive grants to local educational agencies to increase the number of highly-qualified teachers available to serve California state preschool programs and transitional kindergarten pupils, and to provide California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten teachers with training in providing instruction in inclusive classrooms, culturally responsive instruction, supporting dual language learners, enhancing social-emotional learning, implementing trauma-informed practices and restorative practices, and mitigating implicit biases to eliminate exclusionary discipline, pursuant to this section. These funds shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2024.(B)Any funds allocated for purposes of this subdivision pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (c) or subparagraph (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) shall be available for encumbrance through June 30, 2026.(2)The Superintendent shall develop and administer a process to award grants under paragraph (1), subject to approval of the executive director of the state board, on a competitive basis to local educational agencies. To apply for a grant, a local educational agency shall submit an application to the department describing how it will allocate funds and increase either the number of credentialed teachers meeting the requirements of subdivision (g) of Section 48000, or the competencies of California state preschool programs, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten teachers to enhance their ability to provide instruction in inclusive classrooms, provide culturally responsive instruction, support dual language learners, enhance social-emotional learning, implement trauma-informed and restorative practices, and mitigate implicit biases to eliminate exclusionary discipline.(3)A local educational agency may apply on behalf of a consortium of providers within the local educational agencys program area, including California state preschool programs and Head Start programs operated by community-based organizations.(4)An applicant shall demonstrate all of the following to be considered for a grant award:(A)A need for preschool and transitional kindergarten or kindergarten professional development in a region.(B)A need for preschool and transitional kindergarten teachers in a region.(C)The presence of, or plan to create, inclusive classroom settings.(D)The ability to connect the preschool, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten program to before and after school programs and extended day services.(E)A plan to integrate preschool, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten professional development opportunities.(F)A plan for recruiting new preschool, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten teachers with experience in early learning and care settings and collaborating with institutions of higher education to ensure a qualified prekindergarten teacher pipeline.(G)A plan for how principals and administrators overseeing the transitional kindergarten program, or other prekindergarten program, will receive training and professional development on the value and tenets of effective instruction for young children.(5)In awarding grants under paragraph (1), the Superintendent shall establish a methodology that accounts for all of the following:(A)The percentage of transitional kindergarten and kindergarten pupils eligible for free and reduced-price meals.(B)The percentage of dual language learners that the local educational agency is serving or is planning to serve in a California state preschool program or transitional kindergarten program.(C)The percentage of pupils with disabilities the local educational agency is serving or planning to serve in an inclusive California state preschool program or transitional kindergarten program.(D)The percentage of pupils served, or planned to be served, in full-day California state preschool, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten programs offered by the local educational agency or community-based organizations.(E)The extent to which applicants operate in an attendance area where a significant disproportionality of particular races or ethnicities, as described in Section 1418(d) of Title 20 of the United States Code, has been identified in special education.(F)The extent to which the local educational agency is located in an area that has more than three young children, three to five years of age, inclusive, for every licensed childcare slot.(G)The extent to which applicants plan to partner with community-based California state preschool programs and Head Start programs in their program area to ensure those teachers have access to professional development along with teachers employed by the local educational agency.(6)Grants awarded under paragraph (1) for professional development may be used for costs associated with the educational expenses of current and future California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten professionals that support their attainment of required credentials, permits, or professional development in early childhood instruction or child development, including developing competencies in serving inclusive classrooms and dual language learners. Professional development grant funds shall be used for any of the following purposes:(A)Tuition, supplies, and other related educational expenses.(B)Transportation and childcare costs incurred as a result of attending classes.(C)Substitute teacher pay for California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten professionals that are currently working in a California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten classroom.(D)Stipends and professional development expenses, as determined by the Superintendent.(E)Career, course, and professional development coaching, counseling, and navigation services.(F)Linked courses, cohorts, or apprenticeship models.(G)Training and professional development for principals and other administrators of transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, on the value and tenets of effective instruction for young children.(H)Other educational expenses, as determined by the Superintendent.(7)Local educational agencies awarded funding pursuant to paragraph (1) may partner with local or online accredited institutions of higher education or local agencies that provide high-quality or credit-bearing trainings, or apprenticeship programs that integrate and embed higher education coursework with on-the-job training of professionals.(8)Professional learning provided pursuant to this subdivision shall, as applicable, be aligned to the preschool learning foundations and academic standards pursuant to Sections 51226, 60605, 60605.1, 60605.2, 60605.3, 60605.4, 60605.8, and 60605.11, as those sections read on June 30, 2020, and former Section 60605.85, as that section read on June 30, 2014.(9)Local educational agencies receiving grants under this subdivision shall commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the Superintendent, including, but not necessarily limited to, recipient information, including demographic information, educational progress, and the type of courses taken, and participating in overall program evaluation.(10)The Superintendent shall provide a report to the Department of Finance and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on or before October 1, 2024, on the expenditure of funds and relevant outcome data in order to evaluate the impact of the grants awarded under this subdivision.(11)(A)Notwithstanding any other law, on June 30, 2027, any unexpended funds of the amount awarded for purposes of this subdivision shall revert to the General Fund.(B)Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), any unexpended funds allocated for purposes of this subdivision pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (c) and subparagraph (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) shall revert to the General Fund on June 30, 2028.(f)For purposes of this section, local educational agency means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.(g)For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by subdivision (b) shall be deemed to be General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 202021 fiscal year, and included within the total allocations to school districts and community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B, as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202, for the 202021 fiscal year.(h)For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by subdivision (d) shall be deemed to be General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 202122 fiscal year, and included within the total allocations to school districts and community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B, as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202, for the 202122 fiscal year.SEC. 4.Section 8285 of the Education Code is amended to read:8285.(a)The plan shall be submitted to the strategic planning council, as defined in Section 10480 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, for approval. Upon approval of the plan by the strategic planning council, the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco shall hold at least one public hearing on the plan. Following the hearing, if the board of supervisors votes in favor of the plan, the plan shall be submitted to the department for review.(b)Within 30 days of receiving the plan, the department shall review and either approve or disapprove the plan.(c)Within 30 days of receiving any modification to the plan, the department shall review and either approve or disapprove that modification to the plan.(d)The department may disapprove only those portions of the plan or modifications to the plan that are not in conformance with either this article or Article 9 (commencing with Section 8273) or that are in conflict with federal law.SEC. 5.Section 8320 of the Education Code is amended to read:8320.(a)The California Universal Preschool Planning Grant Program is hereby established with the goal of expanding access universally to preschool programs for three- and four-year-old children across the state through a mixed-delivery system.(b)As used in this section, the following definitions shall apply:(1)Children with exceptional needs has the same meaning as defined in Section 8205.(2)Mixed-delivery system means a system of early childhood education services that is delivered through a variety of providers, programs, and settings, including Head Start agencies or delegate agencies funded under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9831, et seq.), public, private, or proprietary agencies, including community-based organizations, public schools, and local educational agencies that offer center-based childcare and preschool programs, tribal childcare and preschool, and family childcare through a family childcare home education network.(3)Three- and four-year-old children has the same meaning as three-year-old children and four-year-old children, as those terms are defined in Section 8205.(4)Universal preschool means those programs that offer part-day or full-day, or both, educational programs for three- and four-year-old children, and may be offered through a mixed-delivery system.(c)(1)(A)Pursuant to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, for each of the 202223, 202324, and 202425 fiscal years, the Superintendent shall consult with the Director of Social Services and shall create an application to award grant funds to one designated lead agency within each county, as set forth in this section. Each county shall submit a single planning grant application.(B)The county grant submission shall contain a signed agreement from the resource and referral agencies in the county and the strategic planning council.(2)(A)(i)A strategic planning council established pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 10485) of Chapter 31 of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code shall have first priority for grant awards from their countys allocation of funds calculated for each county, as described paragraph (1) of subdivision (d).(ii)A strategic planning council shall express interest by submitting a letter of intent to the department on a template developed by the Superintendent in consultation with the State Department of Social Services.(iii)If a strategic planning council wishes to partner with other counties in their region pursuant to subdivision (j), the strategic planning council shall indicate this intent in their letter of intent.(B)(i)In counties where the strategic planning council does not submit a letter of intent to receive an award, a resource and referral agency established pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10217) of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code that operates in the county may submit a joint letter of intent with the strategic planning council to the Superintendent, on a template developed by the Superintendent in consultation with the State Department of Social Services, indicating interest in conducting the activities of this grant in their county.(ii)The joint letter submitted pursuant to clause (i) shall designate a lead fiscal agency and describe the partnership the resource and referral agencies will use to meet the requirements of the grant.(iii)If a resource and referral agency wishes to partner with other counties in their region pursuant to subdivision (j), the resource and referral agency shall indicate this intent in their letter of intent.(C)Once letters of intent have been submitted, the Superintendent shall require the designated lead agency from each county to submit an application that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following information:(i)A description of how it will allocate funds and achieve tasks described in subdivision (f).(ii)A description of how the applicant will partner with the county office of education and other local educational agencies in the county on the work required pursuant to Section 8281.5, to ensure activities conducted under this grant meet community needs for universal preschool in a mixed-delivery system not already addressed.(D)All grantees shall be required to coordinate with the county office of education on the work required pursuant to Section 8281.5. In counties where the county office of education operates the resource and referral agency or the strategic planning council, the staff responsible for those activities at the county office of education shall be included and financially supported to participate in the activities of this grant.(E)The grantee shall form a single working group that shall include, but not be limited to, representatives from the county offices of education, school districts, charter schools offering transitional kindergarten, resource and referral programs, alternative payment programs operating preschool programs, First 5 county commissions, contracted state preschool programs, including both local educational agency and community-based organization programs, general childcare programs serving preschool-age children, tribal preschool programs, private center-based childcare preschool providers, licensed family childcare providers, educators, exclusive bargaining representatives, Head Start, faculty at local institutions of higher education focusing on child development or early childhood education, and early childhood education teacher preparation programs, including institutions of higher education.(d)The Superintendent shall develop and administer a grant process and award grant funds to each county that applies for funding for the 202223 fiscal year if the application conforms with the requirements of this section. Funds shall be allocated using a methodology for determining the amount of funds in each county that accounts for all of the following:(1)(A)Base grant funding that reflects the number of three- and four-year-old children in the county or region.(B)Add-on funding that reflects both of the following:(i)The number of three- and four-year-old children in the county or region who are currently eligible for, but not enrolled in, subsidized preschool programs as part of the mixed-delivery system for universal preschool, as determined by the Superintendent.(ii)The number of three- and four-year-old children with exceptional needs in the county or region.(2)To the extent funds are available in the Budget Act of 2023, existing grantees shall be eligible to apply for a renewal grant subject to terms and conditions developed by the Superintendent.(3)(A)To the extent funds are available in the Budget Act of 2024, the following entities shall be eligible to apply for a grant subject to terms and conditions developed by the Superintendent:(i)Existing grantees.(ii)Newly formed consortia.(iii)Individual counties that participated in a former consortium for this grant, with the first priority for the funds going to the strategic planning council, pursuant to the process described in subdivision (c), as appropriate.(B)Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), in a county that previously received funds from this grant, where the previous grantee or consortia of grantees does not intend to reapply for funding pursuant to subparagraph (A), the following entities shall be eligible to apply as part of an existing or newly formed consortia, with the following priority order:(i)The strategic planning council.(ii)Resource and referral agencies.(iii)First 5 county commissions.(C)If an entity applies for the grant pursuant to subparagraph (B), the grant submission shall include a signed statement, from all entities within the county with a higher priority and within the same priority, that acknowledges their intent not to apply for the funds.(D)An entity receiving funds pursuant to this paragraph shall complete all activities of the grant pursuant to subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c), subparagraph (E) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c), and subdivision (f).(E)The entity applying for funds in each county pursuant to this paragraph shall express interest by submitting a letter of intent to the department on a template developed by the Superintendent, before submitting the request for data.(F)Each county shall submit a single planning grant application for the relevant fiscal year.(G)If funds are awarded pursuant to this paragraph to a First 5 county commission, the First 5 county commission shall collaborate with, and subgrant funds, where appropriate, to strategic planning councils and resource and referral agencies to implement the activities of this section.(e)Grant funds may be used for costs associated with any of the following:(1)Assessing the parental preferences and the need for access to available high-quality universal preschool through a mixed-delivery system for three- and four-year-old children in the county or region by program type.(2)Establishing or strengthening partnerships with other providers of early childhood education services and family childcare home education networks within the county or regions mixed-delivery system and with tribal partners, to ensure that high-quality options for universal preschool, including inclusive preschool programs and multilingual programs, are available for three- and four-year-old children.(3)Engaging in community-level coordination and planning with agencies participating in the county or regions mixed-delivery system to implement high-quality universal preschool options.(4)Coordinating with special education local and regional partners, including regional centers and local educational agencies, to ensure three- and four-year-old children with exceptional needs in the county or region have access to universal preschool through the mixed-delivery system in the least restrictive environment in accordance with Section 1412(a)(5)(A) of Title 20 of the United States Code.(5)Partnering with the regional agency responsible for the system described in Section 8203.1 to fund and support workforce development, coaching, and other quality improvement activities to support the universal preschool mixed-delivery system.(6)Other costs, as specified by the Superintendent.(f)Entities receiving grants pursuant to this subdivision shall do all of the following:(1)Plan for the provision of high-quality universal preschool options for three- and four-year-old children, through a mixed-delivery system that ensures access to high-quality full- and part-day learning experiences, coordinated services, and referrals for families to access health and social-emotional support services. Indicators of quality shall be determined by the Superintendent pursuant to Section 8203.(2)Plan for increasing inclusion of children with exceptional needs in universal preschool.(3)Assist existing and aspiring universal preschool site supervisors, teachers, and other support staff in identifying and accessing local workforce pathway programs, including financial support programs, to increase the number of site supervisors, teachers, and other support staff who have required credentials and degrees.(4)Provide outreach services and enrollment support for families of three- or four-year-old children, to meet family needs and provide those children with high-quality full- and part-day learning experiences.(5)Partner to plan for, align and coordinate the plans, and conduct the activities described in paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, with all local educational agencies in the county or region that received funding pursuant to the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program (Article 13.2 (commencing with Section 8281.5)).(6)Partner with tribes to reflect family and tribal community needs, as sovereign nations, in the planning and implementation of the universal preschool mixed-delivery system.(7)Commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the Superintendent, including, but not limited to, plan development steps and participants engaged in the grant activities and planning, core needs of critical communities, including tribal communities, and recipient information and participation in overall program evaluation.(8)Develop a plan for consideration by the county board of education at a public meeting on or before June 30, 2023, for how all four-year-old children and an increased number of at-promise three-year-old children in the county may access full-day learning programs before kindergarten that meet the needs of parents, including through partnerships with the universal preschool programs in the mixed-delivery system and expanded learning offerings.(g)If the entity receiving the grant in a county is a strategic planning council, the strategic planning council shall collaborate with, and subgrant funds where appropriate to, local resource and referral agencies to implement the activities of this section.(h)If the entity receiving the grant in a county is a resource and referral agency, the resource and referral agency shall collaborate with, and subgrant funds where appropriate to, the strategic planning council to implement the activities of this section.(i)(1)Funds that are allocated or awarded pursuant to this section shall be expended on or before June 30, 2026. The department shall then initiate collection proceedings for unexpended funds.(2)The department shall initiate collection proceedings for grant funds used by grantees in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of this section, including, but not limited to, failing to submit all required data pursuant to subdivision (f).(j)This section does not prohibit counties from joining together to address regional needs with their funding and developing regional plans.(k)The Superintendent shall provide a report to the Department of Finance and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on or before October 1, 2026, on the expenditure of funds and relevant outcome data in order to evaluate the impact of the grants awarded under this section.(l)For purposes of this section, the State Department of Education may enter into exclusive or nonexclusive contracts with nongovernmental entities on a bid or negotiated basis. A contract entered into or amended pursuant to this section shall be exempt from Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 14825) of Part 5.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, Section 19130 of the Government Code, and Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code, and shall be exempt from the review or approval of any division of the Department of General Services.(m)Notwithstanding any other law, a contracted nongovernmental entity described in subdivision (l) may subcontract as necessary in the performance of its duties, subject to approval of the Superintendent.SEC. 6.Section 10203 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10203.(a)It is the intent of the Legislature to launch a phased approach to achieving the goals of the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care, uniting child care programs where they can best be integrated with other child and family focused benefits, programs, and services, and support child care providers and programs while maintaining vital connections to preschool, transitional kindergarten, and K-12 education.(b)To effectuate this transition, effective July 1, 2021, responsibility for the following programs, responsibilities, services, and systems are hereby transferred from the State Department of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction to the State Department of Social Services:(1)Alternative payment programs pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 10225) of Part 1.8.(2) Migrant alternative payment programs pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 10225) of Part 1.8.(3)CalWORKs Stage 2 child care pursuant to Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370) of Part 1.8.(4)CalWORKs Stage 3 child care pursuant to Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370) of Part 1.8.(5)General child care and development programs pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 10240) of Part 1.8.(6)Migrant child care and development programs pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 10235) Part 1.8.(7)Child care and development services for children with severe disabilities pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 10260) of Part 1.8.(8)The Child and Adult Care Food Program implemented pursuant to Section 1766 of Title 42 of the United States Code.(9)Child care and development facilities capital outlay pursuant to Chapter 30 (commencing with Section 10470) of Part 1.8.(10)Responsibility as the lead agency for administration of the Child Care and Development Fund, as defined in Section 98.2 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and as set forth in Sections 10211 to 10212.5, inclusive.(11)Responsibility as the lead agency for the Child Care and Development Fund State Plan Early Learning and Care Infrastructure Grant Program pursuant to former Section 8280 of the Education Code.(12)The Early Learning and Care Workforce Development Grants Program pursuant to Section 10311.(13)The California Head Start State Collaboration Office funded by collaboration grants awarded pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code.(14)The Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships Grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services.(15)Resource and referral agencies pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10217) of Part 1.8.(16)Strategic planning councils pursuant to Chapter 31 (commencing with Section 10480) of Part 1.8.(17)The California Child Care Initiative Project pursuant to Section 10223.(18)Other child care quality improvement projects.(19)Any memoranda of understanding and partnerships related to the programs, services, and systems listed in this subdivision.(20)The Child Development Management Information System and other related data systems as they pertain to the programs, services, and systems listed in this subdivision.SEC. 7.Section 10219 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10219.(a)For purposes of this chapter, child care resource and referral programs, established to serve a defined geographic area, shall provide the following services:(1)(A)Identification of the full range of existing child care services through information provided by all relevant public and private agencies in the areas of service, and the development of a resource file of those services which shall be maintained and updated at least quarterly. These services shall include, but not be limited to, family child care homes, public and private child care programs, full-time and part-time programs, and infant, preschool, and extended care programs.(B)The resource file shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:(i)Type of program.(ii)Hours of service.(iii)Ages of children served.(iv)Fees and eligibility for services.(v)Significant program information.(2)(A)(i)Establishment of a referral process which responds to parental need for information and which is provided with full recognition of the confidentiality rights of parents. Resource and referral programs shall make referrals to licensed child day care facilities. Referrals shall be made to unlicensed care facilities only if there is no requirement that the facility be licensed. The referral process shall afford parents maximum access to all referral information. This access shall include, but is not limited to, telephone referrals to be made available for at least 30 hours per week as part of a full week of operation. Every effort shall be made to reach all parents within the defined geographic area, including, but not limited to, any of the following:(I)Toll-free telephone lines.(II)Office space convenient to parents and providers.(III)Referrals in languages which are spoken in the community.(ii)Each child care resource and referral program shall publicize its services through all available media sources, agencies, and other appropriate methods.(B)(i)Provision of information to any person who requests a child care referral of their right to view the licensing information of a licensed child day care facility required to be maintained at the facility pursuant to Section 1596.859 of the Health and Safety Code and to access any public files pertaining to the facility that are maintained by the departments Community Care Licensing Division.(ii)A written or oral advisement in substantially the following form will comply with the requirements of clause (i):State law requires licensed child day care facilities to make accessible to the public a copy of any licensing report pertaining to the facility that documents a facility visit or a substantiated complaint investigation. In addition, a more complete file regarding a child care licensee may be available at an office of the State Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division. You have the right to access any public information in these files.(3)(A)Maintenance of ongoing documentation of requests for service tabulated through the internal referral process. The following documentation of requests for service shall be maintained by all child care resource and referral programs:(i)Number of calls and contacts to the child care information and referral program or component.(ii)Ages of children served.(iii)Time category of child care request for each child.(iv)Special time category, such as nights, weekends, and swing shift.(v)Reason that the child care is needed.(B)This information shall be maintained in a manner that is easily accessible for dissemination purposes and shall be accessible to strategic planning councils authorized pursuant to Section 10486 and any county implementing an individualized county child care subsidy plan.(4)Provision of technical assistance to existing and potential providers of all types of child care services. This assistance shall include, but not be limited to:(A)Information on all aspects of initiating new child care services including, but not limited to, licensing, zoning, program and budget development, and assistance in finding this information from other sources.(B)Information and resources that help existing child care services providers to maximize their ability to serve the children and parents of their community.(C)Dissemination of information on current public issues affecting the local and state delivery of child care services.(D)Facilitation of communication between existing child care and child-related services providers in the community served.(5)(A)(i)Provision of a child care navigator to support children in foster care, children previously in foster care upon return to their home of origin, and children of parents involved in the child welfare system, including the children of nonminor dependents. The navigator shall work with the childs family, as described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 11461.6, and the childs social worker and child and family team to assess child care opportunities appropriate to the childs age and needs, assist the family in identifying potential opportunities for an ongoing child care subsidy, assist the caregiver in completing appropriate child care program applications, and develop an overall, long-term child care plan for the child.(ii)As a condition of receiving funds pursuant to this subparagraph, each resource and referral program shall develop and enter into a memorandum of understanding, contract, or other formal agreement with the county child welfare agency in order to facilitate interagency communication and, to the maximum extent possible, to leverage federal funding, including administrative funding, available pursuant to Title IVE of the federal Social Security Act, to enhance the navigation support authorized under this subparagraph, or the resource and referral program shall explain, in writing, annually, why entering into a memorandum of understanding, contract, or other formal agreement with the county child welfare agency is not practical or feasible. Navigator services provided pursuant to this subparagraph shall be made available to any child in foster care, any child previously in foster care who has returned to their home of origin, and any child of parents involved in the child welfare system, including any child who meets the eligibility criteria for the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children established pursuant to Section 11461.6. Eligibility for navigator services shall not be contingent on a childs receipt of a child care payment or voucher.(B)(i)Provision of trauma-informed training and coaching to child care providers working with children, and children of parenting youth, in the foster care system. Training shall include, but not be limited to, infant and toddler development and research-based, trauma-informed best care practices. Child care providers shall be provided with coaching to assist them in applying training techniques and strategies for working with children, and children of parenting youth, in foster care.(ii)As a condition of receiving funds pursuant to this subparagraph, each resource and referral program, in coordination with the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, shall develop and enter into a memorandum of understanding, contract, or other formal agreement with the county child welfare agency in order to, to the maximum extent possible, leverage federal funding, including training funds, available pursuant to Title IVE of the federal Social Security Act, to enhance the training support authorized under this subparagraph, or the resource and referral agency shall explain, in writing, annually, why entering into a memorandum of understanding, contract, or other formal agreement with the county child welfare agency is not practical or feasible.(b)Services prescribed by this section shall be provided in order to maximize parental choice in the selection of child care to facilitate the maintenance and development of child care services and resources.(c)(1)A program operating pursuant to this chapter shall, within two business days of receiving notice, remove a licensed child day care facility with a revocation or a temporary suspension order, or that is on probation from the programs referral list.(2)A program operating pursuant to this chapter shall, within two business days of receiving notice, notify all entities, operating a program under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 10225) and Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370) in the programs jurisdiction, of a licensed child day care facility with a revocation or a temporary suspension order, or that is on probation.SEC. 8.Section 10305.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10305.5.(a)For purposes of this section department means the Department of Housing and Community Development.(b)The department shall administer the Child Care and Development Facilities Loan Guaranty Fund and the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund. The department may administer the funds directly, through interagency agreements with other state agencies, through contracts with public or private entities, or through any combination thereof. If the department determines that a public or private entity is capable of making child care and development or preschool facilities loans or loan guarantees, the department may delegate the authority to review and approve those loans or guarantees to the public or private entity. The department is authorized to enter into interagency agreements to carry out the purposes of this section and Section 10305 by using the services of small business financial development corporations established pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 5 of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code. Toward this end, the department is authorized to transfer funds from the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund to the California Economic Development Grant and Loan Fund established by Section 15327 of the Government Code and to transfer funds from the Child Care and Development Facilities Loan Guaranty Fund to the California Small Business Expansion Fund established by Section 63089.5 of the Government Code. Those funds shall be deposited into a Child Care Direct Loan Fund Account and a Child Care Loan Guaranty Fund Account hereby established in the respective funds. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 15310) of Part 6.7 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code and Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 5 of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code, the funds in these accounts shall be administered in compliance with the requirements of this section and Section 10305.(c)Eligible applicants for the loan guaranty program and the direct loan program shall include, but not be limited to, sole proprietorships, partnerships, proprietary and nonprofit corporations, and local public agencies that are responsible for contracting with or providing licensed child care and development services, preschool services, or both. Eligible facilities shall include licensed full-day and part-day child care and development facilities, preschool facilities, and licensed large family child care homes as described in Section 1597.465 of the Health and Safety Code, and licensed small family child care homes as described in Section 1597.44 of the Health and Safety Code.(d)Loan guarantees and direct loans for family child care homes shall not be made for the purpose of purchasing a home or any real property.(e)The State Department of Social Services shall provide input regarding program priorities that shall be considered in the funding of applications by the department. These priorities shall include, but are not limited to, the following:(1)Geographic priorities based on the extent of need for child care and development and preschool supply-building efforts in different parts of the state.(A)Not less than 30 percent of the loan guarantee and direct loan obligations shall benefit providers located in rural areas, as defined in subparagraph (B). If the amount of qualified applications from rural providers is insufficient to satisfy this requirement, the excess capacity reserved for rural providers may be made available to other qualified applications according to the policies and procedures of the department. The remaining 70 percent of funds shall be available to rural or urban areas and other priorities in accordance with this subdivision.(B)For purposes of subdivision (a), rural communities are defined by any county with fewer than 400 residents per square mile.(2)Age priorities based on the extent of need for child care and development or preschool supply-building efforts for children of different age groups.(3)Income priorities shall include families transitioning to work or other lower income families. For purposes of this section, lower income shall have the same meaning as income eligible as set forth in Section 10271.5.(4)Program priorities based on the extent of facilities needs among specific kinds of providers, including those that contract to administer state and federally funded child care and development or preschool programs administered by the State Department of Social Services or the State Department of Education, providers who have lost classrooms due to class size reduction or other state or local initiatives, or providers that need to expand to meet the needs of a child care or preschool initiative for recipients of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3, or any successor program.(f)The program priorities shall reflect input from representatives of diverse sectors of the child care and development or preschool fields, financial institutions, strategic planning councils, the Child Development Programs Advisory Committee, and the State Department of Social Services for purposes of identifying communities with high percentages of recipients of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3, or any successor program, who need child care or preschool to meet work requirements. As part of its annual report to the Legislature, required pursuant to Section 50408 of the Health and Safety Code, the department shall assess and report, after consultation with the State Department of Social Services, on the performance, effectiveness, and fiscal standing of the Child Care and Development Facilities Loan Guaranty Fund and the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund. The report shall include information on the number of defaults, the types of facilities in default, and a review of the adequacy of the set-aside for rural areas specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (e).(g)The department shall adopt regulations and establish priorities, forms, policies, and procedures for implementing and managing the Child Care and Development Facilities Loan Guaranty Fund and the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund and making the loan guarantees and direct loans authorized hereunder consistent with priorities provided by the State Department of Social Services. To the extent feasible, the department shall use applicant fees and points to cover its administrative costs. The department may use an amount of money from the Child Care and Development Facilities Loan Guaranty Fund and the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund, as appropriate, for reasonable administrative costs in any given fiscal year. Unless an appropriation for administrative costs is made in the annual Budget Act that exceeds the following limits, administrative expenditures shall not exceed 3 percent of the amount appropriated to each fund in the Budget Act of 1997.(h)(1)The department shall adopt regulations to efficiently and effectively implement the microenterprise loan program described in this subdivision, including, but not limited to, the following:(A)Making loans available from the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund to local microenterprise loan funds and other lenders who may relend the funds in appropriate amounts to eligible small family child care home providers described in Section 1597.44 of the Health and Safety Code, large family child care home providers described in Section 1597.465 of the Health and Safety Code, licensed child care and development facilities, and preschool facilities that serve up to 35 children.(B)Authorizing a specified amount of guarantees of small loans by local microenterprise loan funds and other lenders serving eligible small family child care home providers described in Section 1597.44 of the Health and Safety Code, large family child care home providers described in Section 1597.465 of the Health and Safety Code, licensed child care and development facilities, and preschool facilities that serve up to 35 children.(2)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this section or Section 10305, a loan made pursuant to this subdivision shall not be made for less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) or for more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and shall not be subject to the 75-percent investment restriction contained in paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 10305.(i)The department may adopt regulations for the purposes of this section as emergency regulations in accordance with Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. For the purposes of the Administrative Procedure Act, including Section 11349.6 of the Government Code, the adoption of the regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or general welfare, notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code. Notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code, any regulation adopted pursuant to this section shall not remain in effect for more than 180 days unless the department complies with all provisions of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, as required by subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code.SEC. 9.Section 10309.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10309.1.(a)The department shall disburse augmentations to the base allocation for the expansion of child care and development programs to promote equal access to child development services across the state.(b)The department shall use the formula developed pursuant to subdivision (c) and the priorities identified by strategic planning councils, unless those priorities do not meet the requirements of state or federal law, as a guide in disbursing augmentations pursuant to subdivision (a).(c)The department shall develop a formula for prioritizing the disbursement of augmentations pursuant to this section. The formula shall give priority to allocating funds to underserved areas. The formula shall use the definition of underserved area in Section 10213.5 and direct impact indicators of need for child care and development services in the county or subcounty areas. For purposes of this section, subcounty areas include, but are not limited to, school districts, census tracts, or ZIP Code areas that are deemed by the department to be most appropriate to the type of program receiving an augmentation. Direct impact indicators of need may include, but are not limited to, the teenage pregnancy rate, the unemployment rate, area household income, or the number or percentage of families receiving public assistance, eligible for Medi-Cal, or eligible for free or reduced-price school meals, and any unique characteristics of the population served by the type of program receiving an augmentation.(d)To promote equal access to services, the department shall include in guidelines developed for use by strategic planning councils pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 10486 guidance on identifying underserved areas and populations within counties. This guidance shall include reference to the direct impact indicators of need described in subdivision (c).SEC. 10.Section 10309.7 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10309.7.(a)The Legislature recognizes the importance of providing quality child care and preschool services. It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to assist counties in improving the retention of qualified child care and preschool employees who work directly with children who receive state-subsidized child care and preschool services.(b)It is further the intent of the Legislature, in amending this section during the 200910 Regular Session, to address the unique challenges of the County of Los Angeles, in which an estimated 60,000 low-income children receive subsidized child care in nonstate-funded child care settings and an additional 50,000 eligible children are waiting for subsidized services.(c)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), the funds appropriated for the purposes of this section by paragraph (11) of Schedule (b) of Item 6110-196-0001 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2000 (Chapter 52 of the Statutes of 2000), and that are described in subdivision (i) of Provision 7 of that item, and any other funds appropriated for purposes of this section, shall be allocated to strategic child care and development planning councils based on the percentage of state-subsidized, center-based child care and preschool funds received in that county, and shall be used to address the retention of qualified child care and preschool employees in state-subsidized child care centers and preschools.(2)Of the funds identified in paragraph (1), funds qualified pursuant to subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, may also be used to address the retention of qualified persons working in licensed child care and preschool programs that serve a majority of children who receive subsidized child care and preschool services pursuant to this chapter, including, but not limited to, family child care homes as defined in Section 1596.78 of the Health and Safety Code. To qualify for use pursuant to this paragraph, the funds shall meet all of the following requirements:(A)The funds are allocated for use in the County of Los Angeles.(B)The funds are appropriated in the annual Budget Act.(C)The funds are unexpended after addressing the retention of qualified child care and preschool employees in state-subsidized child care centers and family child care home education networks.(d)The department shall develop guidelines for use by strategic planning councils in developing county plans for the expenditure of funds allocated pursuant to this section. These guidelines shall be consistent with the departments assessment of the current needs of the subsidized child care and preschool workforce, and shall be subject to the approval of the Department of Finance. Any county plan developed pursuant to these guidelines shall be approved by the department prior to the allocation of funds to the strategic planning council.(e)Funds provided to a county for the purposes of this section shall be used in accordance with the plan approved pursuant to subdivision (d). A county with an approved plan may retain up to 1 percent of the countys total allocation made pursuant to this section for reimbursement of administrative expenses associated with the planning process.(f)The department shall provide an annual report, no later than April 10 of each year, to the Legislature, the Department of Finance, and the Governor that includes, but is not limited to, a summary of the distribution of the funds by county and a description of the use of the funds.SEC. 11.Section 10320 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed.SEC. 12.Section 10320 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:10320.(a)The Governor shall appoint an advisory committee composed of one representative from the State Board of Education, one representative of private education, one representative of child welfare, one representative of private health care, two representatives of proprietary child care agencies, one representative of a community action agency qualified under Title II of the federal Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, two representatives of family daycare homes, one representative of a child care provider exempt from licensure, five parents of children participating in child care programs of whom at least three shall be parents of children participating in publicly subsidized child development programs, and one shall be a parent of a child receiving care from a child care provider exempt from licensure, appointed from names selected by a democratic process to ensure representation of the parents of children being served, four persons representing professional or civic groups or public or nonprofit private agencies, organizations or groups concerned with child development, one person who administers a public school child care program, one person who administers a county office of education schoolage child care program, and one teacher currently serving in a public school childrens center.(b)The advisory committee also shall include one representative from the department, and one representative each from the Employment Development Department, the State Department of Education, the State Department of Health Care Services, and the State Department of Developmental Services, appointed by the respective director of each department.(c)The advisory committee shall assist the department in developing a state plan for child development programs pursuant to this chapter.(d)The advisory committee shall provide ongoing coordination and communication to strategic planning councils to facilitate activities and provide technical assistance as needed.(e)The advisory committee shall continually evaluate the effectiveness of those programs and shall report thereon at each regular session of the Legislature.(f)The advisory committee shall assist in and coordinate the drafting of guidelines for strategic planning councils pursuant to Chapter 31 (commencing with Section 10480). The advisory committee shall request state and local agencies to submit suggested guidelines. The final guidelines shall be drafted and adopted by the committee, in consultation with local child care agencies, strategic planning councils, the department, and the State Department of Education. The guidelines shall include, but not be limited to, provisions for assessing child care supply, demand, cost, and facility needs, in terms of age, family income level, special needs, and multilingual and multicultural backgrounds. Guidelines developed for programs administered by the department shall be concurred in by the department.SEC. 13.Section 10351 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10351.Before implementing the local subsidy plan, the City and County of San Francisco, in consultation with the department, shall develop an individualized county child care subsidy plan for the city and county that includes the following four elements:(a)An assessment to identify the city and countys goal for its subsidized child care system. The assessment shall examine whether the current structure of subsidized child care funding adequately supports working families in the city and county and whether the city and countys child care goals coincide with the states requirements for funding, eligibility, priority, and reimbursement. The assessment shall also identify barriers in the states child care subsidy system that inhibit the city and county from meeting its child care goals. In conducting the assessment, the city and county shall consider all of the following:(1)The general demographics of families who are in need of child care, including employment, income, language, ethnic, and family composition.(2)The current supply of available subsidized child care.(3)The level of need for various types of subsidized child care services including, but not limited to, infant care, after-hours care, and care for children with exceptional needs.(4)The city and countys self-sufficiency income level.(5)Income eligibility levels for subsidized child care.(6)Family fees.(7)The cost of providing child care.(8)The regional market rates, as established by the department, for different types of child care.(9)The standard reimbursement rate or state per diem for centers operating under contracts with the department.(10)Trends in the countys unemployment rate and housing affordability index.(b)Development of a local policy to eliminate state-imposed regulatory barriers to the city and countys achievement of its desired outcomes for subsidized child care.(1)The local policy shall do all of the following:(A)Prioritize lowest income families first.(B)Follow the family fee schedule established pursuant to Section 10290 of this code or Section 8252 of Education Code, as applicable, for those families that are income eligible, as defined by Section 10271.5 of this code or Section 8213 of the Education Code, as applicable.(C)Meet local goals that are consistent with the states child care goals.(D)Identify existing policies that would be affected by the city and countys child care subsidy plan.(E)(i)Authorize any agency that provides child care and development services in the city and county through a contract with the department to apply to the department to amend existing contracts in order to benefit from the local policy once it is adopted.(ii)The department shall approve an application to amend an existing contract if the child care subsidy plan is approved pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 10352, or modified pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 10352.(iii)The contract of a department contractor who does not elect to request an amendment to its contract remains operative and enforceable.(2)(A)The city and county shall, by the end of the first fiscal year of operation under the approved child care subsidy plan, demonstrate an increase in the aggregate child days of enrollment in the county as compared to the enrollment in the final quarter of the 200405 fiscal year.(B)The amount of the increase shall be at least equal to the aggregate child days of enrollment in the final quarter of the 200405 fiscal year for all contracts amended as provided in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1), under which the contractor receives an increase in its reimbursement rate, times 2 percent.(C)The amount of the increase shall also be proportional to the total contract maximum reimbursable amount to reflect the changes in the budget allocation for each fiscal year of the plan.(3)The local policy may supersede state law concerning child care subsidy programs with regard only to the following factors:(A)Provide a family that qualifies for the second or third stage of child care services pursuant to Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370), for purposes of eligibility, fees, and reimbursements, the same or higher level of benefit as a family that qualifies for subsidized child care on another basis pursuant to the local policy, except as otherwise provided in Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370). Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to impact or reduce any element in the second or third stage of child care services pursuant to Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370) that provides a greater benefit to participating families than is provided for in the local policy.(B)Fees including, but not limited to, family fees, sliding scale fees, and copayments for those families that are not income eligible, as defined by Section 10271.5 of this code or Section 8213 of the Education Code, as applicable.(C)Reimbursement rates, including adjustment factors identified in Section 10281.5 of this code or Section 8244 of the Education Code, as applicable.(D)Methods of maximizing the efficient use of subsidy funds, including, but not limited to, multiyear contracting with the department for center-based child care, and interagency agreements that allow for flexible and temporary transfer of funds among agencies.(c)Recognition that all funding sources utilized by direct service contractors that provide child care and development services in the city and county are eligible to be included in the child care subsidy plan of the city and county.(d)Establishment of measurable outcomes to evaluate the success of the plan to achieve the city and countys child care goals and to overcome any barriers identified in the states child care subsidy system. The department shall have an opportunity to review and comment on the proposed measurable outcomes before they are submitted to the strategic planning council for approval pursuant to Section 10352.(e)Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the city and county to change the regional market rate survey results for the city and county.(f)Nothing in this section shall allow the city and county to adopt as part of its plan an increase to the regional market reimbursement rate beyond the level provided in the Budget Act.(g)The plan may include stage one child care services in addition to alternative payment and direct service child care programs. If the plan includes CalWORKs child care, the plan administrator shall consult with their county welfare department to identify opportunities for alignment, ensuring families experience no break in their child care services due to a transition between the three stages of child care services and policies implemented in the plan.SEC. 14.Section 10352 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10352.(a)The plan shall be submitted to the strategic planning council, as defined in Section 10480, for approval. Upon approval of the plan by the strategic planning council, the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco shall hold at least one public hearing on the plan. Following the hearing, if the board of supervisors votes in favor of the plan, the plan shall be submitted to the department for review.(b)Within 30 days of receiving the plan, the department shall review and either approve or disapprove the plan.(c)Within 30 days of receiving any modification to the plan, the department shall review and either approve or disapprove that modification to the plan.(d)The department may disapprove only those portions of the plan or modifications to the plan that are not in conformance with this chapter or that are in conflict with federal law.SEC. 15.Section 10375 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10375.(a)By January 31, 1998, the State Department of Education and the State Department of Social Services shall design a form for license-exempt child care providers to use for certifying health and safety requirements to the extent required by federal law. Until the form is adopted, the information required pursuant to Section 11324 shall continue to be maintained by the county welfare department or contractor, as appropriate.(b)By January 31, 1998, the State Department of Education and the State Department of Social Services shall do both of the following:(1)Design a standard process for complaints by parents about the provision of child care that is exempt from licensure.(2)Design, in consultation with strategic planning councils, a single application for all child care programs and all families.(c)(1)County welfare departments and alternative payment programs shall encourage all providers who are licensed or who are exempt from licensure and who are providing care under Section 10371, 10372, or 10372.5 to secure training and education in basic child development.(2)Child care provider job training provided to CalWORKs recipients that is funded by either the State Department of Education or the State Department of Social Services shall include information on becoming a licensed child care provider.(d)The department shall increase consumer education and consumer awareness activities so that parents will have the information needed to seek child care of high quality. High-quality child care shall include both licensed and license-exempt care.SEC. 16.Section 10376 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10376.(a)County welfare departments and alternative payment programs shall provide to the department and the strategic planning council, on a monthly basis, data about child care usage and demand in each of the three stages. The department shall forward this data quarterly to the Department of Finance and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for fiscal planning.(b)By January 10 of each year, the Department of Finance shall present to the respective legislative budget committees an estimate of the cost of funding the expected demand for child care as described in subdivision (a) of Section 10371 and Sections 10372 and 10372.5.SEC. 17.The heading of Chapter 31 (commencing with Section 10480) of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:31.Strategic Planning CouncilsSEC. 18.Section 10480 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10480.For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:(a)Child care means all licensed child care and development services, early childhood education services, and license-exempt child care, including, but not limited to, private for-profit programs, nonprofit programs, and publicly funded programs, for all children up to and including 12 years of age, including children with exceptional needs and children from all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.(b)Child care provider means a person who provides child care services or represents persons who provide child care services.(c)Consumer means a parent or person who receives, or who has received within the past 36 months, child care services.(d)Strategic planning council means a local child care and development planning council, as described in Section 10485.SEC. 19.The heading of Article 2 (commencing with Section 10485) of Chapter 31 of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:2.Membership and Funding of Strategic Planning CouncilsSEC. 20.Section 10485 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed.SEC. 21.Section 10485 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:10485.(a)It is the intent of the Legislature that strategic local child care and development planning councils shall provide a forum to identify local priorities for child care and to develop policies to meet the needs identified within those priorities, and shall seek to create a local system of support for child care. (b)(1)The strategic planning council shall be comprised as follows:(A)One representative from a resource and referral agency in the county. This representative shall be appointed by a majority vote of all resource and referral agencies in the county.(B)One representative from an alternative payment provider in the county. This representative shall be appointed by a majority vote of all alternative payment providers in the county.(C)One representative from the local First 5 county commission.(D)One representative from the county office of education.(E)One representative from a school district that provides transitional kindergarten within the county.(F)One representative from the county board of supervisors.(G)One representative from the county human services department.(H)One representative from the parent advisory committee established pursuant to paragraph (5). This representative shall be appointed by a majority vote of the members of the parent advisory committee.(I)One representative from the provider advisory committee established pursuant to paragraph (6). This representative shall be appointed by a majority vote of the members of the provider advisory committee.(J)One representative of a local postsecondary educational institution that receives state or federal funds and offers a degree, training, or professional development courses in child care, child development, or preschool.(K)Other local government agencies, such as health services, human services, social services, regional centers, school districts, and special education local plan areas, that provide services to children from birth to 12 years of age, inclusive.(L)Other representatives, at the discretion of the strategic planning council.(2)Notwithstanding any other law, one individual may represent more than one of the categories identified in subparagraphs (A) to (I), inclusive, of paragraph (1).(3)The members of the strategic planning council shall serve a term of three years.(4)(A)The representative identified in subparagraph (J) of paragraph (1) shall be nominated by a majority vote of the other members of the strategic planning council and shall be appointed by the county board of supervisors or the county superintendent of schools.(B)The county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools may each appoint one-half of the members nominated pursuant to subparagraphs (K) and (L) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b). If there is an uneven number of appointees, the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools shall agree on the odd-numbered appointee.(5)The parent advisory committee shall be made up of consumers and may include, but is not limited to, the following members:(A)One consumer who receives services from a family child care home provider or a family, friend, or neighbor provider.(B)One consumer who receives services from a child care center provider.(C)One consumer who receives services from a transitional kindergarten provider.(D)One consumer who represents a tribal organization who receives services from a child care provider.(E)One consumer who is a parent of a child with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 8208, who receives services from a child care provider.(F)One consumer who receives services from an after school program.(6)The provider advisory committee may include, but is not limited to, the following members:(A)One family child care home provider or a family, friend, or neighbor provider.(B)One child care provider licensed pursuant to Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.(C)One child care provider licensed pursuant to Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.(D)One Head Start provider.(E)One representative from a labor union that represents child care providers in the county.(F)One representative from a child care provider experienced in providing services to children with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, in a full inclusion environment.(G)One representative from a child care provider experienced in providing services to children of migrant families.(c)Every effort shall be made to ensure that the ethnic, racial, and geographic composition of the strategic planning council is reflective of the ethnic, racial, and geographic distribution of the population of the county.(d)The county board of supervisors and county superintendent of schools may designate an existing child care planning council or coordinated child and family services council as the strategic planning council, as long as it has or can achieve the representation set forth in this section.(e)Upon establishment of a strategic planning council, the strategic planning council shall elect a chair and select a staff.(f)Each strategic planning council shall develop and implement a training plan to provide increased efficiency, productivity, and facilitation of strategic planning council meetings. This may include developing a training manual, hiring facilitators, and identifying strategies to meet the objectives of the council.(g)A member of a strategic planning council shall not participate in a vote if the member has a proprietary interest in the outcome of the matter being voted upon.(h)Notwithstanding any other law, the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools may mutually agree to merge the strategic planning council and the Quality Rating and Improvement System local consortia, as defined in Section 8203.1 of the Education Code, as long as it can achieve the representation set forth in this section.(i)(1)Notwithstanding any other law, the county boards of supervisors and the county superintendents of schools in two or more contiguous counties may mutually agree to merge their strategic planning councils, as long as it can achieve the representation set forth in this section.(2)If two or more counties choose to exercise the option to merge their strategic planning councils pursuant to paragraph (1), the strategic planning council shall make every effort to ensure that meetings and stakeholder forums are accessible to consumers and providers in all of the counties that the strategic planning council represents. This may be achieved by alternating the location of meetings between the counties, hosting meetings at a central point between the counties, or live broadcasting strategic planning council meetings at multiple locations within the counties.SEC. 22.Section 10486 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10486.(a)The department shall allocate child care funding pursuant to this part based on the amount of state and federal funding that is available.(b)By May 30 of each year, upon approval by the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools, a strategic planning council shall submit to the department and the State Department of Education its local priorities, identified by ZIP Code and prioritized by the strategic planning council according to greatest child care needs in the county. To accomplish this, a strategic planning council shall do both of the following:(1)Encourage public input in the development of the strategic planning councils local priorities. Opportunities for public input shall include at least one public hearing during which members of the public can comment on the proposed priorities.(2)Collaborate with subsidized and nonsubsidized child care providers, county welfare departments, human service agencies, regional centers, job training programs, employers, integrated child and family service councils, local and state children and families commissions, parent organizations, early start family resource centers, family empowerment centers on disability, local child care resource and referral programs, and other interested parties to foster partnerships designed to meet local child care needs.(c)(1)A strategic planning council shall conduct an assessment of child care needs in the county no less frequently than once every five years. The department shall define and prescribe data elements to be included in the needs assessment and shall specify the format for the data reporting. Beginning in 2027, the strategic planning council shall use the needs assessment template developed by the department in collaboration with the strategic planning councils. The needs assessment shall be submitted to the department by May 30 of each year in which it is due.(2)The State Department of Public Health, local departments of social services and welfare, local regional centers, special education local plan areas, and local resource and referral agencies shall provide to the department the information necessary for strategic planning councils to complete the needs assessment.(3)The department shall, in conjunction with all appropriate statewide agencies and associations, develop guidelines for use by strategic planning councils to assist them in conducting needs assessments that are reliable and accurate. The guidelines shall include acceptable sources of demographic and child care data, and methodologies for assessing child care supply and demand.(4)The department shall allocate funding within each county in accordance with the priorities identified by the strategic planning council of that county and submitted to the department pursuant to this section, unless the priorities do not meet the requirements of state or federal law.SEC. 23.Section 10486.5 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:10486.5.(a)(1)On or before March 30, 2027, and every three years thereafter, a strategic planning council shall develop and submit to the county board of supervisors and the county board of education a strategic plan and investment priorities using the template that shall be adopted by the department in collaboration with the strategic planning councils and First 5 California. Before the strategic plan and investment priorities can be submitted for approval, the strategic planning council shall do all of the following:(A)Post the most recent needs assessment developed pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 10486 on the strategic planning councils internet website and share the needs assessment with all school districts in the county no later than January 1 of each year in which a strategic plan and investment priorities will be submitted.(B)Seek input from the parent advisory committee and the provider advisory committee established pursuant to Section 10485.(C)Identify existing publicly owned facilities that could house a child care program. The strategic planning council shall periodically survey school districts, county offices of education, and city and county governments to identify sites that could house a child care program and the modifications that each site would need to meet child care health and safety requirements.(D)Encourage public input in the development of the strategic plan and investment priorities. Opportunities for public input shall include at least one public hearing during which members of the public can comment on the proposed strategic plan and investment priorities before submission to the county board of supervisors and the county board of education.(2)The strategic plan shall address facility needs, workforce needs, family access, and quality and transition planning. The investment priorities shall identify priorities for the county board of supervisors, the county board of education, and the Legislature.(3)The county board of supervisors and the county board of education shall hold public hearings on the proposed strategic plan and investment priorities at a regularly scheduled meeting. The hearings shall be held before adoption of the strategic plan and investment priorities and may be no sooner than three days after the proposed strategic plan and investment priorities are posted on the strategic planning councils internet website. The county board of supervisors and the county board of education shall each approve the strategic plan and investment priorities no later than July 1 of each year in which a strategic plan and investment priorities are submitted.(4)A strategic plan and investment priorities shall be effective for a period of three years and shall be updated each intervening year by March 30.(b)At least twice each year, a strategic planning council shall convene a forum for stakeholders to provide input to and receive updates from the Quality Rating and Improvement System local consortium, as defined in Section 8203.1 of the Education Code.(c)A strategic planning council shall work with the county office of education, special education local plan areas, and the school districts and regional centers in the county to facilitate the transition of children with exceptional needs into the K12 system.(d)The operation of this section is contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act for purposes of this section. SEC. 24.Section 10487 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10487.It is the intent of the Legislature that any additional conditions imposed upon strategic planning councils shall be funded from available federal funds to the greatest extent legally possible.SEC. 25.Section 10492.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10492.2.(a)(1)The State Department of Social Services, in consultation with the State Department of Education, shall convene a public workgroup to provide recommendations to the State Department of Social Services for the development of the Framework, the Equity Tool, and recommended uses of the Equity Tool for early childhood investments and whole child resources to address racial and economic inequities for Californias youngest children.(2)The workgroup shall include parents and families from historically underserved communities and shall include, but not be limited to, other stakeholders that bring insight to support the whole child, which may include practitioners, experts, researchers, or advocates in childcare and development, physical and mental health, childhood adversity, family support and engagement, community safety, economic well-being, and built environments, representatives from First 5 California and local First 5 commissions, representatives of duly designated collective bargaining agents of family childcare home providers, and representatives from resource and referral agencies, strategic planning councils, and county offices of education. Workgroup members shall reflect the racial, ethnic, linguistic, and economic diversities of the State of California and represent the interests of individuals who are Black, Latinx, and Indigenous, people of color, multilingual communities, LGBTQIA+ families, children with disabilities, and families from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities that have been disproportionately marginalized. The workgroup shall provide updates to the Early Childhood Policy Council to ensure that the council is informed on the workgroups recommendations.(3)The workgroup is subject to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).(b)On or before January 1, 2025, with input from the workgroup, the State Department of Social Services shall finalize and present the Framework, the Equity Tool, and recommended uses of the Equity Tool to the Legislature. The Framework and the Equity Tool shall be used to build on the existing strengths of communities and support them to address their critical needs of young children.(c)The State Department of Social Services shall publish the tool for public use, including the data and methodology, on the departments internet website.SEC. 26.If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

## The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 10320 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10320. (a) The Early Childhood Policy Council is hereby established to advise the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on statewide early learning and care policy, including the planning for, and the implementation and evaluation of, the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the 2019 California Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report.(b) (1) The council shall maintain at least two ongoing standing advisory committees: a parent advisory committee appointed pursuant to subdivision (e) and a workforce advisory committee appointed pursuant to subdivision (f).(2) The council shall include 27 members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Fourteen members appointed by the Governor, including those required pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code. One of the Governors appointees shall be the chairperson of the council.(B) Four members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.(C) Four members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.(D) One member appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.(E) Two members of the parent advisory committee, appointed by that committee.(F) Two members of the workforce advisory committee, appointed by that committee.(3) Members of the council shall include stakeholder representatives reflecting the comprehensive child care system; represent the ethnic, racial, and language diversity of the state; and represent geographic diversity and those communities separated from opportunity due to poverty, racial bias, language, geographic isolation, disability, and other factors.(4) Members of the council shall serve no longer than six years.(5) To the extent funding for the council is provided in the annual Budget Act, language interpretation services shall be provided at convenings of the council and its committees to ensure language access and meaningful participation.(6) To the extent funding for the council is provided in the annual Budget Act, members of the council or its committees who are provider participants or parent representatives shall be reimbursed as necessary for their reasonable expenses, including travel, a stipend to cover child care costs, lost wages, and expenses for substitutes for attending council meetings.(c) The council shall do all of the following:(1) Convene at least four public meetings per year. These meetings shall provide access for participants throughout the state.(2) Advise the Governor and perform activities required pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code.(3) Prepare a formal public annual report on the work of the council.(4) Provide specific recommendations directly to the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on all aspects of the states early childhood education system, including on the following topics:(A) Equity, with consideration for demographic, geographic, and economic diversity, and with a focus on family-centered two-generation approaches.(B) Opportunities to incorporate a support model of accountability, as opposed to a compliance model of accountability, into the states early childhood education system.(C) Ways that the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the 2019 California Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report can be updated and improved.(5) (A) Submit a report to the Legislature, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Assembly Committee on Human Services, and the Senate Committee on Human Services on an annual basis that includes, at a minimum, the successes, challenges, and gaps in the states childhood education systems and recommendations to facilitate advancing the states vision for children, families, and communities.(B) A report to be submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.(6) Develop policy proposals and budget requests for the Legislature to consider related to facility needs, workforce needs, and family access.(d) Staff for the council and its committees shall be provided by the California Health and Human Services Agency. From funding appropriated for purposes of this section, up to three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) may be used by the California Health and Human Services Agency for the costs to provide staff for the council and its committees.(e) (1) The parent advisory committee shall be a standing committee of the council.(2) The parent advisory committee shall include nine members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Three members appointed by the Governor, including one consumer who receives services from a child care center provider, one consumer who is on a subsidy waiting list at the time of the appointment, and one consumer who is a parent of a child with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, who receives services from a child care provider.(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, including one consumer who receives services from a family child care home provider or a family, friend, or neighbor provider, one consumer who is a current or former CalWORKs child care recipient, and one consumer who is connected to the child welfare system.(C) Three members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, including one consumer who receives services from a transitional kindergarten provider, one consumer who represents a tribal organization who receives services from a child care provider, and one consumer who pays privately for child care.(3) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the parent advisory committee.(4) If a person cannot be found to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2), the appointing authority may designate an alternate committee member.(5) The parent advisory committee shall provide recommendations to the council and other entities on all aspects of early childhood education, including all of the following:(A) Equity, access, and best practices for engaging families.(B) Creating warm and welcoming care environments.(C) How to develop local and state partnerships to support the best outcomes for families that interact with the states early childhood education system.(f) (1) The workforce advisory committee shall be a standing committee of the council.(2) The workforce advisory committee shall include nine members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Three members appointed by the Governor, including one licensed family child care home provider, one center-based child care director from a subsidized child care program, and one representative from a statewide organization representing child care providers.(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, including one family, friend, or neighbor child care provider, one representative from a Head Start program provider, and one representative from a community college that operates a program that provides early child care education coursework and laboratory school experience.(C) Three members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, including one representative from a child care provider experienced in providing services to children with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, in a full-inclusion environment, one center-based child care teacher from a subsidized child care program, and one provider who provides services to children from a tribal organization.(3) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the workforce advisory committee.(4) If a person cannot be found to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2), the appointing authority may designate an alternate committee member.(5) The workforce advisory committee shall provide recommendations to the council and other entities on all aspects of early childhood education on an ongoing basis.

SECTION 1. Section 10320 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

### SECTION 1.

10320. (a) The Early Childhood Policy Council is hereby established to advise the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on statewide early learning and care policy, including the planning for, and the implementation and evaluation of, the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the 2019 California Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report.(b) (1) The council shall maintain at least two ongoing standing advisory committees: a parent advisory committee appointed pursuant to subdivision (e) and a workforce advisory committee appointed pursuant to subdivision (f).(2) The council shall include 27 members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Fourteen members appointed by the Governor, including those required pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code. One of the Governors appointees shall be the chairperson of the council.(B) Four members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.(C) Four members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.(D) One member appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.(E) Two members of the parent advisory committee, appointed by that committee.(F) Two members of the workforce advisory committee, appointed by that committee.(3) Members of the council shall include stakeholder representatives reflecting the comprehensive child care system; represent the ethnic, racial, and language diversity of the state; and represent geographic diversity and those communities separated from opportunity due to poverty, racial bias, language, geographic isolation, disability, and other factors.(4) Members of the council shall serve no longer than six years.(5) To the extent funding for the council is provided in the annual Budget Act, language interpretation services shall be provided at convenings of the council and its committees to ensure language access and meaningful participation.(6) To the extent funding for the council is provided in the annual Budget Act, members of the council or its committees who are provider participants or parent representatives shall be reimbursed as necessary for their reasonable expenses, including travel, a stipend to cover child care costs, lost wages, and expenses for substitutes for attending council meetings.(c) The council shall do all of the following:(1) Convene at least four public meetings per year. These meetings shall provide access for participants throughout the state.(2) Advise the Governor and perform activities required pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code.(3) Prepare a formal public annual report on the work of the council.(4) Provide specific recommendations directly to the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on all aspects of the states early childhood education system, including on the following topics:(A) Equity, with consideration for demographic, geographic, and economic diversity, and with a focus on family-centered two-generation approaches.(B) Opportunities to incorporate a support model of accountability, as opposed to a compliance model of accountability, into the states early childhood education system.(C) Ways that the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the 2019 California Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report can be updated and improved.(5) (A) Submit a report to the Legislature, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Assembly Committee on Human Services, and the Senate Committee on Human Services on an annual basis that includes, at a minimum, the successes, challenges, and gaps in the states childhood education systems and recommendations to facilitate advancing the states vision for children, families, and communities.(B) A report to be submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.(6) Develop policy proposals and budget requests for the Legislature to consider related to facility needs, workforce needs, and family access.(d) Staff for the council and its committees shall be provided by the California Health and Human Services Agency. From funding appropriated for purposes of this section, up to three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) may be used by the California Health and Human Services Agency for the costs to provide staff for the council and its committees.(e) (1) The parent advisory committee shall be a standing committee of the council.(2) The parent advisory committee shall include nine members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Three members appointed by the Governor, including one consumer who receives services from a child care center provider, one consumer who is on a subsidy waiting list at the time of the appointment, and one consumer who is a parent of a child with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, who receives services from a child care provider.(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, including one consumer who receives services from a family child care home provider or a family, friend, or neighbor provider, one consumer who is a current or former CalWORKs child care recipient, and one consumer who is connected to the child welfare system.(C) Three members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, including one consumer who receives services from a transitional kindergarten provider, one consumer who represents a tribal organization who receives services from a child care provider, and one consumer who pays privately for child care.(3) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the parent advisory committee.(4) If a person cannot be found to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2), the appointing authority may designate an alternate committee member.(5) The parent advisory committee shall provide recommendations to the council and other entities on all aspects of early childhood education, including all of the following:(A) Equity, access, and best practices for engaging families.(B) Creating warm and welcoming care environments.(C) How to develop local and state partnerships to support the best outcomes for families that interact with the states early childhood education system.(f) (1) The workforce advisory committee shall be a standing committee of the council.(2) The workforce advisory committee shall include nine members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Three members appointed by the Governor, including one licensed family child care home provider, one center-based child care director from a subsidized child care program, and one representative from a statewide organization representing child care providers.(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, including one family, friend, or neighbor child care provider, one representative from a Head Start program provider, and one representative from a community college that operates a program that provides early child care education coursework and laboratory school experience.(C) Three members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, including one representative from a child care provider experienced in providing services to children with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, in a full-inclusion environment, one center-based child care teacher from a subsidized child care program, and one provider who provides services to children from a tribal organization.(3) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the workforce advisory committee.(4) If a person cannot be found to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2), the appointing authority may designate an alternate committee member.(5) The workforce advisory committee shall provide recommendations to the council and other entities on all aspects of early childhood education on an ongoing basis.

10320. (a) The Early Childhood Policy Council is hereby established to advise the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on statewide early learning and care policy, including the planning for, and the implementation and evaluation of, the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the 2019 California Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report.(b) (1) The council shall maintain at least two ongoing standing advisory committees: a parent advisory committee appointed pursuant to subdivision (e) and a workforce advisory committee appointed pursuant to subdivision (f).(2) The council shall include 27 members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Fourteen members appointed by the Governor, including those required pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code. One of the Governors appointees shall be the chairperson of the council.(B) Four members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.(C) Four members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.(D) One member appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.(E) Two members of the parent advisory committee, appointed by that committee.(F) Two members of the workforce advisory committee, appointed by that committee.(3) Members of the council shall include stakeholder representatives reflecting the comprehensive child care system; represent the ethnic, racial, and language diversity of the state; and represent geographic diversity and those communities separated from opportunity due to poverty, racial bias, language, geographic isolation, disability, and other factors.(4) Members of the council shall serve no longer than six years.(5) To the extent funding for the council is provided in the annual Budget Act, language interpretation services shall be provided at convenings of the council and its committees to ensure language access and meaningful participation.(6) To the extent funding for the council is provided in the annual Budget Act, members of the council or its committees who are provider participants or parent representatives shall be reimbursed as necessary for their reasonable expenses, including travel, a stipend to cover child care costs, lost wages, and expenses for substitutes for attending council meetings.(c) The council shall do all of the following:(1) Convene at least four public meetings per year. These meetings shall provide access for participants throughout the state.(2) Advise the Governor and perform activities required pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code.(3) Prepare a formal public annual report on the work of the council.(4) Provide specific recommendations directly to the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on all aspects of the states early childhood education system, including on the following topics:(A) Equity, with consideration for demographic, geographic, and economic diversity, and with a focus on family-centered two-generation approaches.(B) Opportunities to incorporate a support model of accountability, as opposed to a compliance model of accountability, into the states early childhood education system.(C) Ways that the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the 2019 California Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report can be updated and improved.(5) (A) Submit a report to the Legislature, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Assembly Committee on Human Services, and the Senate Committee on Human Services on an annual basis that includes, at a minimum, the successes, challenges, and gaps in the states childhood education systems and recommendations to facilitate advancing the states vision for children, families, and communities.(B) A report to be submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.(6) Develop policy proposals and budget requests for the Legislature to consider related to facility needs, workforce needs, and family access.(d) Staff for the council and its committees shall be provided by the California Health and Human Services Agency. From funding appropriated for purposes of this section, up to three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) may be used by the California Health and Human Services Agency for the costs to provide staff for the council and its committees.(e) (1) The parent advisory committee shall be a standing committee of the council.(2) The parent advisory committee shall include nine members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Three members appointed by the Governor, including one consumer who receives services from a child care center provider, one consumer who is on a subsidy waiting list at the time of the appointment, and one consumer who is a parent of a child with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, who receives services from a child care provider.(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, including one consumer who receives services from a family child care home provider or a family, friend, or neighbor provider, one consumer who is a current or former CalWORKs child care recipient, and one consumer who is connected to the child welfare system.(C) Three members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, including one consumer who receives services from a transitional kindergarten provider, one consumer who represents a tribal organization who receives services from a child care provider, and one consumer who pays privately for child care.(3) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the parent advisory committee.(4) If a person cannot be found to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2), the appointing authority may designate an alternate committee member.(5) The parent advisory committee shall provide recommendations to the council and other entities on all aspects of early childhood education, including all of the following:(A) Equity, access, and best practices for engaging families.(B) Creating warm and welcoming care environments.(C) How to develop local and state partnerships to support the best outcomes for families that interact with the states early childhood education system.(f) (1) The workforce advisory committee shall be a standing committee of the council.(2) The workforce advisory committee shall include nine members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Three members appointed by the Governor, including one licensed family child care home provider, one center-based child care director from a subsidized child care program, and one representative from a statewide organization representing child care providers.(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, including one family, friend, or neighbor child care provider, one representative from a Head Start program provider, and one representative from a community college that operates a program that provides early child care education coursework and laboratory school experience.(C) Three members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, including one representative from a child care provider experienced in providing services to children with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, in a full-inclusion environment, one center-based child care teacher from a subsidized child care program, and one provider who provides services to children from a tribal organization.(3) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the workforce advisory committee.(4) If a person cannot be found to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2), the appointing authority may designate an alternate committee member.(5) The workforce advisory committee shall provide recommendations to the council and other entities on all aspects of early childhood education on an ongoing basis.

10320. (a) The Early Childhood Policy Council is hereby established to advise the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on statewide early learning and care policy, including the planning for, and the implementation and evaluation of, the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the 2019 California Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report.(b) (1) The council shall maintain at least two ongoing standing advisory committees: a parent advisory committee appointed pursuant to subdivision (e) and a workforce advisory committee appointed pursuant to subdivision (f).(2) The council shall include 27 members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Fourteen members appointed by the Governor, including those required pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code. One of the Governors appointees shall be the chairperson of the council.(B) Four members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.(C) Four members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.(D) One member appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.(E) Two members of the parent advisory committee, appointed by that committee.(F) Two members of the workforce advisory committee, appointed by that committee.(3) Members of the council shall include stakeholder representatives reflecting the comprehensive child care system; represent the ethnic, racial, and language diversity of the state; and represent geographic diversity and those communities separated from opportunity due to poverty, racial bias, language, geographic isolation, disability, and other factors.(4) Members of the council shall serve no longer than six years.(5) To the extent funding for the council is provided in the annual Budget Act, language interpretation services shall be provided at convenings of the council and its committees to ensure language access and meaningful participation.(6) To the extent funding for the council is provided in the annual Budget Act, members of the council or its committees who are provider participants or parent representatives shall be reimbursed as necessary for their reasonable expenses, including travel, a stipend to cover child care costs, lost wages, and expenses for substitutes for attending council meetings.(c) The council shall do all of the following:(1) Convene at least four public meetings per year. These meetings shall provide access for participants throughout the state.(2) Advise the Governor and perform activities required pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code.(3) Prepare a formal public annual report on the work of the council.(4) Provide specific recommendations directly to the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on all aspects of the states early childhood education system, including on the following topics:(A) Equity, with consideration for demographic, geographic, and economic diversity, and with a focus on family-centered two-generation approaches.(B) Opportunities to incorporate a support model of accountability, as opposed to a compliance model of accountability, into the states early childhood education system.(C) Ways that the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the 2019 California Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report can be updated and improved.(5) (A) Submit a report to the Legislature, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Assembly Committee on Human Services, and the Senate Committee on Human Services on an annual basis that includes, at a minimum, the successes, challenges, and gaps in the states childhood education systems and recommendations to facilitate advancing the states vision for children, families, and communities.(B) A report to be submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.(6) Develop policy proposals and budget requests for the Legislature to consider related to facility needs, workforce needs, and family access.(d) Staff for the council and its committees shall be provided by the California Health and Human Services Agency. From funding appropriated for purposes of this section, up to three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) may be used by the California Health and Human Services Agency for the costs to provide staff for the council and its committees.(e) (1) The parent advisory committee shall be a standing committee of the council.(2) The parent advisory committee shall include nine members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Three members appointed by the Governor, including one consumer who receives services from a child care center provider, one consumer who is on a subsidy waiting list at the time of the appointment, and one consumer who is a parent of a child with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, who receives services from a child care provider.(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, including one consumer who receives services from a family child care home provider or a family, friend, or neighbor provider, one consumer who is a current or former CalWORKs child care recipient, and one consumer who is connected to the child welfare system.(C) Three members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, including one consumer who receives services from a transitional kindergarten provider, one consumer who represents a tribal organization who receives services from a child care provider, and one consumer who pays privately for child care.(3) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the parent advisory committee.(4) If a person cannot be found to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2), the appointing authority may designate an alternate committee member.(5) The parent advisory committee shall provide recommendations to the council and other entities on all aspects of early childhood education, including all of the following:(A) Equity, access, and best practices for engaging families.(B) Creating warm and welcoming care environments.(C) How to develop local and state partnerships to support the best outcomes for families that interact with the states early childhood education system.(f) (1) The workforce advisory committee shall be a standing committee of the council.(2) The workforce advisory committee shall include nine members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:(A) Three members appointed by the Governor, including one licensed family child care home provider, one center-based child care director from a subsidized child care program, and one representative from a statewide organization representing child care providers.(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, including one family, friend, or neighbor child care provider, one representative from a Head Start program provider, and one representative from a community college that operates a program that provides early child care education coursework and laboratory school experience.(C) Three members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, including one representative from a child care provider experienced in providing services to children with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, in a full-inclusion environment, one center-based child care teacher from a subsidized child care program, and one provider who provides services to children from a tribal organization.(3) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the workforce advisory committee.(4) If a person cannot be found to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2), the appointing authority may designate an alternate committee member.(5) The workforce advisory committee shall provide recommendations to the council and other entities on all aspects of early childhood education on an ongoing basis.



10320. (a) The Early Childhood Policy Council is hereby established to advise the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on statewide early learning and care policy, including the planning for, and the implementation and evaluation of, the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the 2019 California Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report.

(b) (1) The council shall maintain at least two ongoing standing advisory committees: a parent advisory committee appointed pursuant to subdivision (e) and a workforce advisory committee appointed pursuant to subdivision (f).

(2) The council shall include 27 members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:

(A) Fourteen members appointed by the Governor, including those required pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code. One of the Governors appointees shall be the chairperson of the council.

(B) Four members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.

(C) Four members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.

(D) One member appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

(E) Two members of the parent advisory committee, appointed by that committee.

(F) Two members of the workforce advisory committee, appointed by that committee.

(3) Members of the council shall include stakeholder representatives reflecting the comprehensive child care system; represent the ethnic, racial, and language diversity of the state; and represent geographic diversity and those communities separated from opportunity due to poverty, racial bias, language, geographic isolation, disability, and other factors.

(4) Members of the council shall serve no longer than six years.

(5) To the extent funding for the council is provided in the annual Budget Act, language interpretation services shall be provided at convenings of the council and its committees to ensure language access and meaningful participation.

(6) To the extent funding for the council is provided in the annual Budget Act, members of the council or its committees who are provider participants or parent representatives shall be reimbursed as necessary for their reasonable expenses, including travel, a stipend to cover child care costs, lost wages, and expenses for substitutes for attending council meetings.

(c) The council shall do all of the following:

(1) Convene at least four public meetings per year. These meetings shall provide access for participants throughout the state.

(2) Advise the Governor and perform activities required pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code.

(3) Prepare a formal public annual report on the work of the council.

(4) Provide specific recommendations directly to the Governor, the Legislature, and the department on all aspects of the states early childhood education system, including on the following topics:

(A) Equity, with consideration for demographic, geographic, and economic diversity, and with a focus on family-centered two-generation approaches.

(B) Opportunities to incorporate a support model of accountability, as opposed to a compliance model of accountability, into the states early childhood education system.

(C) Ways that the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the 2019 California Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report can be updated and improved.

(5) (A) Submit a report to the Legislature, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Assembly Committee on Human Services, and the Senate Committee on Human Services on an annual basis that includes, at a minimum, the successes, challenges, and gaps in the states childhood education systems and recommendations to facilitate advancing the states vision for children, families, and communities.

(B) A report to be submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(6) Develop policy proposals and budget requests for the Legislature to consider related to facility needs, workforce needs, and family access.

(d) Staff for the council and its committees shall be provided by the California Health and Human Services Agency. From funding appropriated for purposes of this section, up to three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) may be used by the California Health and Human Services Agency for the costs to provide staff for the council and its committees.

(e) (1) The parent advisory committee shall be a standing committee of the council.

(2) The parent advisory committee shall include nine members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:

(A) Three members appointed by the Governor, including one consumer who receives services from a child care center provider, one consumer who is on a subsidy waiting list at the time of the appointment, and one consumer who is a parent of a child with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, who receives services from a child care provider.

(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, including one consumer who receives services from a family child care home provider or a family, friend, or neighbor provider, one consumer who is a current or former CalWORKs child care recipient, and one consumer who is connected to the child welfare system.

(C) Three members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, including one consumer who receives services from a transitional kindergarten provider, one consumer who represents a tribal organization who receives services from a child care provider, and one consumer who pays privately for child care.

(3) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the parent advisory committee.

(4) If a person cannot be found to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2), the appointing authority may designate an alternate committee member.

(5) The parent advisory committee shall provide recommendations to the council and other entities on all aspects of early childhood education, including all of the following:

(A) Equity, access, and best practices for engaging families.

(B) Creating warm and welcoming care environments.

(C) How to develop local and state partnerships to support the best outcomes for families that interact with the states early childhood education system.

(f) (1) The workforce advisory committee shall be a standing committee of the council.

(2) The workforce advisory committee shall include nine members who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority as follows:

(A) Three members appointed by the Governor, including one licensed family child care home provider, one center-based child care director from a subsidized child care program, and one representative from a statewide organization representing child care providers.

(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, including one family, friend, or neighbor child care provider, one representative from a Head Start program provider, and one representative from a community college that operates a program that provides early child care education coursework and laboratory school experience.

(C) Three members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, including one representative from a child care provider experienced in providing services to children with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, in a full-inclusion environment, one center-based child care teacher from a subsidized child care program, and one provider who provides services to children from a tribal organization.

(3) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the workforce advisory committee.

(4) If a person cannot be found to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2), the appointing authority may designate an alternate committee member.

(5) The workforce advisory committee shall provide recommendations to the council and other entities on all aspects of early childhood education on an ongoing basis.





(a)The Superintendent shall administer a QRIS block grant, pursuant to an appropriation made for that purpose in the annual Budget Act, to be allocated to local consortia for support of local early learning quality rating and improvement systems that increase the number of low-income children in high-quality preschool programs that prepare those children for success in school and life.



(b)(1)For purposes of this section, early learning quality rating and improvement system or QRIS is defined as a locally determined system for continuous quality improvement based on a tiered rating structure with progressively higher quality standards for each tier that provides supports and incentives for programs, teachers, and administrators to reach higher levels of quality, monitors and evaluates the impacts on child outcomes, and disseminates information to parents and the public about program quality.



(2)For purposes of this section, local consortium is defined as a local or regional entity, administered by a lead agency, that convenes a planning body that designs and implements a QRIS. A local consortium shall include representatives from organizations including, but not limited to, all of the following:



(A)Local educational agencies.



(B)First 5 county commissions.



(C)Higher educational institutions.



(D)Strategic planning councils.



(E)Local resource and referral agencies.



(F)Alternative payment programs.



(G)Other local agencies, as appropriate, which may include, but are not limited to, nonprofit organizations, that provide services to children from birth to five years of age, inclusive, tribal representatives, childcare licensing regional offices, special education local plan area, the county social services department, the local public health department, the local behavioral health department, regional centers, and Head Start and Early Head Start grantees.



(3)For purposes of this section, quality continuum framework means the tiered rating matrix created and adopted by a local consortium for purposes of implementing a QRIS. The tiered rating matrix shall include three common tiers shared by all participating local consortia. Changes to the common tiers shall be approved and adopted by all participating local consortia.



(c)The QRIS block grant shall build on local consortia and other local QRIS work in existence on or before the operative date of this section.



(d)For the 201415 fiscal year, if a county or region has an established local consortium that has adopted a quality continuum framework, the local consortiums lead administering agency shall be provided the first opportunity to apply for a QRIS block grant.



(e)Local consortia shall do all of the following to be eligible for a QRIS block grant:



(1)Implement a QRIS that incorporates evidence-based elements and tools in the quality continuum framework that are tailored to the local conditions and enhanced with local resources.



(2)Set ambitious yet achievable targets for California state preschool program contracting agencies participation in the QRIS with the goal of achieving the highest common tier, as the tier existed on June 1, 2014, or a higher level of quality.



(3)Develop an action plan that includes a continuous quality improvement process that is tied to improving child outcomes.



(4)Describe how QRIS block grant funds will be used to increase the number of sites achieving the highest common local tier and to directly support classrooms that have achieved the highest common tier, as that tier existed on June 1, 2014, or a higher level of quality.



(5)Develop information and resources that help families understand why preschool matters and how to identify a quality preschool program that meets the needs of the family.



(f)The Superintendent, in consultation with the executive director of the state board, shall allocate QRIS block grant funds to local consortia that satisfy the requirements of subdivision (e) based on the number of California state preschool program slots within the county or region.



(g)(1)Local consortia receiving QRIS block grant funds shall allocate those funds to contracting agencies of the California state preschool program, as established by Article 2 (commencing with Section 8207), or local educational agencies, for activities that support and improve quality, and assess quality and access. In allocating the QRIS block grant funds, priority shall be given to directly supporting the classrooms of the California state preschool program sites that have achieved the highest common local tier of quality.



(2)No more than 20 percent of a local consortiums QRIS block grant funds may be used for assessment and access projects.



(h)A family childcare home education network that provides California state preschool program services shall be eligible for an allocation from a local consortium of QRIS block grant funds for activities that support, improve, and assess quality.







(a)The department shall disburse augmentations to the base allocation for the expansion of preschool programs to promote equal access to preschool services across the state.



(b)(1)In order to provide progress towards achieving access to full-day, full-year preschool services for all income-eligible four-year-old children and to promote access for all income-eligible four-year-old children to attend at least a part-day California state preschool program, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall, in awarding new funding appropriated by the Legislature, in any fiscal year, for the expansion of California state preschool programs, use the formula developed pursuant to subdivision (c) and may use the priorities identified by strategic planning councils, as provided for in Section 10486 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and other high-quality data resources available to the department.



(2)Expansion funding awarded pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be apportioned at the rate described in Section 8242 and as determined in the annual Budget Act.



(3)A family childcare home education network shall be eligible to apply for expansion funding awarded pursuant to paragraph (1).



(c)The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall develop a formula for prioritizing the disbursement of augmentations pursuant to this section. The formula shall give priority to allocating funds to underserved areas. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall develop the formula by using the definition of underserved area in Section 8205 and direct impact indicators of need for preschool services in the county or subcounty areas. For purposes of this section, subcounty areas include, but are not limited to, school districts, census tracts, or ZIP Code areas that are deemed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to be most appropriate to the type of program receiving an augmentation. Direct impact indicators of need may include, but are not limited to, the teenage pregnancy rate, the unemployment rate, area household income, or the number or percentage of families receiving public assistance, eligible for Medi-Cal, or eligible for free or reduced-price school meals, and any unique characteristics of the population served by the type of program receiving an augmentation.



(d)To promote equal access to services and allocate resources equitably, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall develop a process for identifying underserved areas and populations within counties. This guidance shall include reference to the direct impact indicators of need described in subdivision (c).



(e)This section does not preclude a local educational agency from subcontracting with an appropriate public or private agency to operate a California state preschool program, subject to Section 18140 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, and to apply for funds made available pursuant to this section. If a school district chooses not to operate or subcontract for a California state preschool program, the Superintendent shall work with the county office of education and other eligible agencies to explore possible opportunities in contracting or alternative subcontracting to provide a California state preschool program.



(f)This section does not prevent eligible children who are receiving services from continuing to receive those services pursuant to this chapter in future years.







(a)The California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program is hereby established as a state early learning initiative with the goal of expanding access to classroom-based prekindergarten programs at local educational agencies.



(b)For the 202122 fiscal year, the sum of three hundred million dollars ($300,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department for allocation to local educational agencies for the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program pursuant to this section. These funds shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2024.



(c)(1)Of the total amount appropriated under subdivision (b), the Superintendent shall allocate two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) in the 202122 fiscal year to local educational agencies as follows:



(A)A minimum base grant to all local educational agencies that operate kindergarten programs as determined using California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment from the 202021 certification, as follows:



(i)For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 1 to 23 pupils, inclusive, the minimum base grant shall be twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).



(ii)For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 24 to 99 pupils, inclusive, the minimum base grant shall be fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).



(iii)For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 100 or more pupils, the minimum base grant shall be one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000).



(B)A minimum base grant for each county office of education of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for each local educational agency in their county that operates kindergarten programs to support countywide planning and capacity building.



(C)Of the remaining funds after allocations under subparagraphs (A) and (B):



(i)Sixty percent shall be available as enrollment grants. These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agencys proportional share of total California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment for the 201920 fiscal year, as applied to the total amount of program funds available for the enrollment grant. For purposes of this clause, the total statewide kindergarten enrollment shall be calculated using the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 201920 fiscal year for each local educational agency.



(ii)Forty percent shall be available as supplemental grants. These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agencys California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 201920 fiscal year, multiplied by the local educational agencys unduplicated pupil percentage, as calculated pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02 or subdivision (b) of Section 2574 certified as of the second principal apportionment. Funds for this purpose shall be distributed percent-to-total from funds available for the supplemental grant.



(D)Notwithstanding any other law, any kindergarten enrollment reported by a county office of education shall be attributed to the school district of geographic residence.



(2)Grant funds may be used for costs associated with creating or expanding California state preschool programs or transitional kindergarten programs, or to establish or strengthen partnerships with other providers of prekindergarten education within the local educational agency, including Head Start programs, to ensure that high-quality options for prekindergarten education are available for four-year-old children. Allowable costs include, but are not necessarily limited to, planning costs, hiring and recruitment costs, staff training and professional development, classroom materials, and supplies.



(3)Local educational agencies receiving grants pursuant to this subdivision shall do both of the following:



(A)Commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the Superintendent, including, but not limited to, recipient information and participating in overall program evaluation.



(B)Develop a plan for consideration by the governing board or body at a public meeting on or before June 30, 2022, for how all children in the attendance area of the local educational agency will have access to full-day learning programs the year before kindergarten that meet the needs of parents, including through partnerships with the local educational agencys expanding learning offerings, the After School Education and Safety Program, the California state preschool program, Head Start programs, and other community-based early learning and care programs.



(4)(A)Funds that are allocated or awarded pursuant to this subdivision shall be expended by June 30, 2026. The department shall then initiate collection proceedings for unexpended funds.



(B)The department shall initiate collection proceedings for grant funds used by local educational agencies in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of this section, including, but not limited to, failing to submit all required data pursuant to paragraph (3).



(C)The department may allocate or prorate any returned or collected funds pursuant to this subdivision for the purposes provided in subdivision (e).



(d)(1)For the 202223 fiscal year, the sum of three hundred million dollars ($300,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department for allocation to local educational agencies for the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program pursuant to this section. These funds shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2026. The Superintendent shall allocate funds to local educational agencies as follows:



(A)A minimum base grant to all local educational agencies that operate kindergarten programs, as determined using California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment from the 202122 certification, as follows:



(i)For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 1 to 500 pupils, inclusive, the minimum base grant shall be twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).



(ii)For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 501 or more pupils, the minimum base grant shall be fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).



(B)A minimum base grant for each county office of education of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for each local educational agency in their county that operates kindergarten programs to support countywide planning and capacity building.



(C)Of the funds remaining after the allocations pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B):



(i)Sixty percent shall be available as enrollment grants. These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agencys proportional share of total California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment for the 202122 fiscal year, as applied to the total amount of program funds available for the enrollment grant. For purposes of this clause, the total statewide kindergarten enrollment shall be calculated using the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 202021 fiscal year for each local educational agency.



(ii)Forty percent shall be available as supplemental grants. These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agencys California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 202021 fiscal year, multiplied by the local educational agencys unduplicated pupil percentage, as calculated pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02 or subdivision (b) of Section 2574, as applicable, and certified as of the second principal apportionment. Funds for this purpose shall be distributed percent-to-total from funds available for the supplemental grant.



(D)Notwithstanding any other law, any kindergarten enrollment reported by a county office of education shall be attributed to the school district of geographic residence.



(2)Grant funds may be used for costs associated with creating or expanding California state preschool programs or transitional kindergarten programs, or to establish or strengthen partnerships with other providers of prekindergarten education within the local educational agency, including Head Start programs, to ensure that high-quality options for prekindergarten education are available for children four years of age. Allowable costs shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, classroom operating costs, planning costs, hiring and recruitment costs, staff training and professional development, classroom materials, and supplies.



(3)Local educational agencies receiving grants pursuant to this subdivision shall do all of the following:



(A)Commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the Superintendent, including, but not limited to, recipient information and participating in overall program evaluation.



(B)If the local educational agency did not develop the plan required pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), develop a plan for consideration by the governing board or body at a public meeting on or before March 30, 2023, for how all children in the attendance area of the local educational agency will have access to full-day learning programs the year before kindergarten that meet the needs of parents, including through partnerships with the local educational agencys expanding learning offerings, the After School Education and Safety Program, the California state preschool program, Head Start programs, and other community-based early learning and care programs. A plan developed pursuant to this subparagraph satisfies the requirements of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c).



(C)Ensure expenditures are consistent with their local plan adopted pursuant to subdivision (c).



(D)Commit to planning with their countys strategic planning council, local tribes, and the California state preschool program and Head Start program providers in their region.



(E)Offer transitional kindergarten to all eligible pupils interested in transitional kindergarten within their attendance area by the 202526 school year.



(4)(A)Funds allocated or awarded pursuant to this subdivision shall be expended by June 30, 2026. The department shall then initiate collection proceedings for unexpended funds.



(B)The department may allocate or prorate any returned or collected funds pursuant to this subdivision for the purposes provided in subdivision (e).



(5)The department shall initiate collection proceedings for grant funds used by local educational agencies in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of this section, including, but not limited to, failing to submit all required data pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3).



(e)(1)(A)Of the total amount appropriated under subdivision (b), the Superintendent shall award one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) in competitive grants to local educational agencies to increase the number of highly-qualified teachers available to serve California state preschool programs and transitional kindergarten pupils, and to provide California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten teachers with training in providing instruction in inclusive classrooms, culturally responsive instruction, supporting dual language learners, enhancing social-emotional learning, implementing trauma-informed practices and restorative practices, and mitigating implicit biases to eliminate exclusionary discipline, pursuant to this section. These funds shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2024.



(B)Any funds allocated for purposes of this subdivision pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (c) or subparagraph (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) shall be available for encumbrance through June 30, 2026.



(2)The Superintendent shall develop and administer a process to award grants under paragraph (1), subject to approval of the executive director of the state board, on a competitive basis to local educational agencies. To apply for a grant, a local educational agency shall submit an application to the department describing how it will allocate funds and increase either the number of credentialed teachers meeting the requirements of subdivision (g) of Section 48000, or the competencies of California state preschool programs, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten teachers to enhance their ability to provide instruction in inclusive classrooms, provide culturally responsive instruction, support dual language learners, enhance social-emotional learning, implement trauma-informed and restorative practices, and mitigate implicit biases to eliminate exclusionary discipline.



(3)A local educational agency may apply on behalf of a consortium of providers within the local educational agencys program area, including California state preschool programs and Head Start programs operated by community-based organizations.



(4)An applicant shall demonstrate all of the following to be considered for a grant award:



(A)A need for preschool and transitional kindergarten or kindergarten professional development in a region.



(B)A need for preschool and transitional kindergarten teachers in a region.



(C)The presence of, or plan to create, inclusive classroom settings.



(D)The ability to connect the preschool, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten program to before and after school programs and extended day services.



(E)A plan to integrate preschool, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten professional development opportunities.



(F)A plan for recruiting new preschool, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten teachers with experience in early learning and care settings and collaborating with institutions of higher education to ensure a qualified prekindergarten teacher pipeline.



(G)A plan for how principals and administrators overseeing the transitional kindergarten program, or other prekindergarten program, will receive training and professional development on the value and tenets of effective instruction for young children.



(5)In awarding grants under paragraph (1), the Superintendent shall establish a methodology that accounts for all of the following:



(A)The percentage of transitional kindergarten and kindergarten pupils eligible for free and reduced-price meals.



(B)The percentage of dual language learners that the local educational agency is serving or is planning to serve in a California state preschool program or transitional kindergarten program.



(C)The percentage of pupils with disabilities the local educational agency is serving or planning to serve in an inclusive California state preschool program or transitional kindergarten program.



(D)The percentage of pupils served, or planned to be served, in full-day California state preschool, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten programs offered by the local educational agency or community-based organizations.



(E)The extent to which applicants operate in an attendance area where a significant disproportionality of particular races or ethnicities, as described in Section 1418(d) of Title 20 of the United States Code, has been identified in special education.



(F)The extent to which the local educational agency is located in an area that has more than three young children, three to five years of age, inclusive, for every licensed childcare slot.



(G)The extent to which applicants plan to partner with community-based California state preschool programs and Head Start programs in their program area to ensure those teachers have access to professional development along with teachers employed by the local educational agency.



(6)Grants awarded under paragraph (1) for professional development may be used for costs associated with the educational expenses of current and future California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten professionals that support their attainment of required credentials, permits, or professional development in early childhood instruction or child development, including developing competencies in serving inclusive classrooms and dual language learners. Professional development grant funds shall be used for any of the following purposes:



(A)Tuition, supplies, and other related educational expenses.



(B)Transportation and childcare costs incurred as a result of attending classes.



(C)Substitute teacher pay for California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten professionals that are currently working in a California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten classroom.



(D)Stipends and professional development expenses, as determined by the Superintendent.



(E)Career, course, and professional development coaching, counseling, and navigation services.



(F)Linked courses, cohorts, or apprenticeship models.



(G)Training and professional development for principals and other administrators of transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, on the value and tenets of effective instruction for young children.



(H)Other educational expenses, as determined by the Superintendent.



(7)Local educational agencies awarded funding pursuant to paragraph (1) may partner with local or online accredited institutions of higher education or local agencies that provide high-quality or credit-bearing trainings, or apprenticeship programs that integrate and embed higher education coursework with on-the-job training of professionals.



(8)Professional learning provided pursuant to this subdivision shall, as applicable, be aligned to the preschool learning foundations and academic standards pursuant to Sections 51226, 60605, 60605.1, 60605.2, 60605.3, 60605.4, 60605.8, and 60605.11, as those sections read on June 30, 2020, and former Section 60605.85, as that section read on June 30, 2014.



(9)Local educational agencies receiving grants under this subdivision shall commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the Superintendent, including, but not necessarily limited to, recipient information, including demographic information, educational progress, and the type of courses taken, and participating in overall program evaluation.



(10)The Superintendent shall provide a report to the Department of Finance and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on or before October 1, 2024, on the expenditure of funds and relevant outcome data in order to evaluate the impact of the grants awarded under this subdivision.



(11)(A)Notwithstanding any other law, on June 30, 2027, any unexpended funds of the amount awarded for purposes of this subdivision shall revert to the General Fund.



(B)Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), any unexpended funds allocated for purposes of this subdivision pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (c) and subparagraph (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) shall revert to the General Fund on June 30, 2028.



(f)For purposes of this section, local educational agency means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.



(g)For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by subdivision (b) shall be deemed to be General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 202021 fiscal year, and included within the total allocations to school districts and community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B, as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202, for the 202021 fiscal year.



(h)For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by subdivision (d) shall be deemed to be General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 202122 fiscal year, and included within the total allocations to school districts and community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B, as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202, for the 202122 fiscal year.







(a)The plan shall be submitted to the strategic planning council, as defined in Section 10480 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, for approval. Upon approval of the plan by the strategic planning council, the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco shall hold at least one public hearing on the plan. Following the hearing, if the board of supervisors votes in favor of the plan, the plan shall be submitted to the department for review.



(b)Within 30 days of receiving the plan, the department shall review and either approve or disapprove the plan.



(c)Within 30 days of receiving any modification to the plan, the department shall review and either approve or disapprove that modification to the plan.



(d)The department may disapprove only those portions of the plan or modifications to the plan that are not in conformance with either this article or Article 9 (commencing with Section 8273) or that are in conflict with federal law.







(a)The California Universal Preschool Planning Grant Program is hereby established with the goal of expanding access universally to preschool programs for three- and four-year-old children across the state through a mixed-delivery system.



(b)As used in this section, the following definitions shall apply:



(1)Children with exceptional needs has the same meaning as defined in Section 8205.



(2)Mixed-delivery system means a system of early childhood education services that is delivered through a variety of providers, programs, and settings, including Head Start agencies or delegate agencies funded under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9831, et seq.), public, private, or proprietary agencies, including community-based organizations, public schools, and local educational agencies that offer center-based childcare and preschool programs, tribal childcare and preschool, and family childcare through a family childcare home education network.



(3)Three- and four-year-old children has the same meaning as three-year-old children and four-year-old children, as those terms are defined in Section 8205.



(4)Universal preschool means those programs that offer part-day or full-day, or both, educational programs for three- and four-year-old children, and may be offered through a mixed-delivery system.



(c)(1)(A)Pursuant to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, for each of the 202223, 202324, and 202425 fiscal years, the Superintendent shall consult with the Director of Social Services and shall create an application to award grant funds to one designated lead agency within each county, as set forth in this section. Each county shall submit a single planning grant application.



(B)The county grant submission shall contain a signed agreement from the resource and referral agencies in the county and the strategic planning council.



(2)(A)(i)A strategic planning council established pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 10485) of Chapter 31 of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code shall have first priority for grant awards from their countys allocation of funds calculated for each county, as described paragraph (1) of subdivision (d).



(ii)A strategic planning council shall express interest by submitting a letter of intent to the department on a template developed by the Superintendent in consultation with the State Department of Social Services.



(iii)If a strategic planning council wishes to partner with other counties in their region pursuant to subdivision (j), the strategic planning council shall indicate this intent in their letter of intent.



(B)(i)In counties where the strategic planning council does not submit a letter of intent to receive an award, a resource and referral agency established pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10217) of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code that operates in the county may submit a joint letter of intent with the strategic planning council to the Superintendent, on a template developed by the Superintendent in consultation with the State Department of Social Services, indicating interest in conducting the activities of this grant in their county.



(ii)The joint letter submitted pursuant to clause (i) shall designate a lead fiscal agency and describe the partnership the resource and referral agencies will use to meet the requirements of the grant.



(iii)If a resource and referral agency wishes to partner with other counties in their region pursuant to subdivision (j), the resource and referral agency shall indicate this intent in their letter of intent.



(C)Once letters of intent have been submitted, the Superintendent shall require the designated lead agency from each county to submit an application that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following information:



(i)A description of how it will allocate funds and achieve tasks described in subdivision (f).



(ii)A description of how the applicant will partner with the county office of education and other local educational agencies in the county on the work required pursuant to Section 8281.5, to ensure activities conducted under this grant meet community needs for universal preschool in a mixed-delivery system not already addressed.



(D)All grantees shall be required to coordinate with the county office of education on the work required pursuant to Section 8281.5. In counties where the county office of education operates the resource and referral agency or the strategic planning council, the staff responsible for those activities at the county office of education shall be included and financially supported to participate in the activities of this grant.



(E)The grantee shall form a single working group that shall include, but not be limited to, representatives from the county offices of education, school districts, charter schools offering transitional kindergarten, resource and referral programs, alternative payment programs operating preschool programs, First 5 county commissions, contracted state preschool programs, including both local educational agency and community-based organization programs, general childcare programs serving preschool-age children, tribal preschool programs, private center-based childcare preschool providers, licensed family childcare providers, educators, exclusive bargaining representatives, Head Start, faculty at local institutions of higher education focusing on child development or early childhood education, and early childhood education teacher preparation programs, including institutions of higher education.



(d)The Superintendent shall develop and administer a grant process and award grant funds to each county that applies for funding for the 202223 fiscal year if the application conforms with the requirements of this section. Funds shall be allocated using a methodology for determining the amount of funds in each county that accounts for all of the following:



(1)(A)Base grant funding that reflects the number of three- and four-year-old children in the county or region.



(B)Add-on funding that reflects both of the following:



(i)The number of three- and four-year-old children in the county or region who are currently eligible for, but not enrolled in, subsidized preschool programs as part of the mixed-delivery system for universal preschool, as determined by the Superintendent.



(ii)The number of three- and four-year-old children with exceptional needs in the county or region.



(2)To the extent funds are available in the Budget Act of 2023, existing grantees shall be eligible to apply for a renewal grant subject to terms and conditions developed by the Superintendent.



(3)(A)To the extent funds are available in the Budget Act of 2024, the following entities shall be eligible to apply for a grant subject to terms and conditions developed by the Superintendent:



(i)Existing grantees.



(ii)Newly formed consortia.



(iii)Individual counties that participated in a former consortium for this grant, with the first priority for the funds going to the strategic planning council, pursuant to the process described in subdivision (c), as appropriate.



(B)Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), in a county that previously received funds from this grant, where the previous grantee or consortia of grantees does not intend to reapply for funding pursuant to subparagraph (A), the following entities shall be eligible to apply as part of an existing or newly formed consortia, with the following priority order:



(i)The strategic planning council.



(ii)Resource and referral agencies.



(iii)First 5 county commissions.



(C)If an entity applies for the grant pursuant to subparagraph (B), the grant submission shall include a signed statement, from all entities within the county with a higher priority and within the same priority, that acknowledges their intent not to apply for the funds.



(D)An entity receiving funds pursuant to this paragraph shall complete all activities of the grant pursuant to subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c), subparagraph (E) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c), and subdivision (f).



(E)The entity applying for funds in each county pursuant to this paragraph shall express interest by submitting a letter of intent to the department on a template developed by the Superintendent, before submitting the request for data.



(F)Each county shall submit a single planning grant application for the relevant fiscal year.



(G)If funds are awarded pursuant to this paragraph to a First 5 county commission, the First 5 county commission shall collaborate with, and subgrant funds, where appropriate, to strategic planning councils and resource and referral agencies to implement the activities of this section.



(e)Grant funds may be used for costs associated with any of the following:



(1)Assessing the parental preferences and the need for access to available high-quality universal preschool through a mixed-delivery system for three- and four-year-old children in the county or region by program type.



(2)Establishing or strengthening partnerships with other providers of early childhood education services and family childcare home education networks within the county or regions mixed-delivery system and with tribal partners, to ensure that high-quality options for universal preschool, including inclusive preschool programs and multilingual programs, are available for three- and four-year-old children.



(3)Engaging in community-level coordination and planning with agencies participating in the county or regions mixed-delivery system to implement high-quality universal preschool options.



(4)Coordinating with special education local and regional partners, including regional centers and local educational agencies, to ensure three- and four-year-old children with exceptional needs in the county or region have access to universal preschool through the mixed-delivery system in the least restrictive environment in accordance with Section 1412(a)(5)(A) of Title 20 of the United States Code.



(5)Partnering with the regional agency responsible for the system described in Section 8203.1 to fund and support workforce development, coaching, and other quality improvement activities to support the universal preschool mixed-delivery system.



(6)Other costs, as specified by the Superintendent.



(f)Entities receiving grants pursuant to this subdivision shall do all of the following:



(1)Plan for the provision of high-quality universal preschool options for three- and four-year-old children, through a mixed-delivery system that ensures access to high-quality full- and part-day learning experiences, coordinated services, and referrals for families to access health and social-emotional support services. Indicators of quality shall be determined by the Superintendent pursuant to Section 8203.



(2)Plan for increasing inclusion of children with exceptional needs in universal preschool.



(3)Assist existing and aspiring universal preschool site supervisors, teachers, and other support staff in identifying and accessing local workforce pathway programs, including financial support programs, to increase the number of site supervisors, teachers, and other support staff who have required credentials and degrees.



(4)Provide outreach services and enrollment support for families of three- or four-year-old children, to meet family needs and provide those children with high-quality full- and part-day learning experiences.



(5)Partner to plan for, align and coordinate the plans, and conduct the activities described in paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, with all local educational agencies in the county or region that received funding pursuant to the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program (Article 13.2 (commencing with Section 8281.5)).



(6)Partner with tribes to reflect family and tribal community needs, as sovereign nations, in the planning and implementation of the universal preschool mixed-delivery system.



(7)Commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the Superintendent, including, but not limited to, plan development steps and participants engaged in the grant activities and planning, core needs of critical communities, including tribal communities, and recipient information and participation in overall program evaluation.



(8)Develop a plan for consideration by the county board of education at a public meeting on or before June 30, 2023, for how all four-year-old children and an increased number of at-promise three-year-old children in the county may access full-day learning programs before kindergarten that meet the needs of parents, including through partnerships with the universal preschool programs in the mixed-delivery system and expanded learning offerings.



(g)If the entity receiving the grant in a county is a strategic planning council, the strategic planning council shall collaborate with, and subgrant funds where appropriate to, local resource and referral agencies to implement the activities of this section.



(h)If the entity receiving the grant in a county is a resource and referral agency, the resource and referral agency shall collaborate with, and subgrant funds where appropriate to, the strategic planning council to implement the activities of this section.



(i)(1)Funds that are allocated or awarded pursuant to this section shall be expended on or before June 30, 2026. The department shall then initiate collection proceedings for unexpended funds.



(2)The department shall initiate collection proceedings for grant funds used by grantees in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of this section, including, but not limited to, failing to submit all required data pursuant to subdivision (f).



(j)This section does not prohibit counties from joining together to address regional needs with their funding and developing regional plans.



(k)The Superintendent shall provide a report to the Department of Finance and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on or before October 1, 2026, on the expenditure of funds and relevant outcome data in order to evaluate the impact of the grants awarded under this section.



(l)For purposes of this section, the State Department of Education may enter into exclusive or nonexclusive contracts with nongovernmental entities on a bid or negotiated basis. A contract entered into or amended pursuant to this section shall be exempt from Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 14825) of Part 5.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, Section 19130 of the Government Code, and Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code, and shall be exempt from the review or approval of any division of the Department of General Services.



(m)Notwithstanding any other law, a contracted nongovernmental entity described in subdivision (l) may subcontract as necessary in the performance of its duties, subject to approval of the Superintendent.







(a)It is the intent of the Legislature to launch a phased approach to achieving the goals of the states Master Plan for Early Learning and Care, uniting child care programs where they can best be integrated with other child and family focused benefits, programs, and services, and support child care providers and programs while maintaining vital connections to preschool, transitional kindergarten, and K-12 education.



(b)To effectuate this transition, effective July 1, 2021, responsibility for the following programs, responsibilities, services, and systems are hereby transferred from the State Department of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction to the State Department of Social Services:



(1)Alternative payment programs pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 10225) of Part 1.8.



(2) Migrant alternative payment programs pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 10225) of Part 1.8.



(3)CalWORKs Stage 2 child care pursuant to Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370) of Part 1.8.



(4)CalWORKs Stage 3 child care pursuant to Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370) of Part 1.8.



(5)General child care and development programs pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 10240) of Part 1.8.



(6)Migrant child care and development programs pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 10235) Part 1.8.



(7)Child care and development services for children with severe disabilities pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 10260) of Part 1.8.



(8)The Child and Adult Care Food Program implemented pursuant to Section 1766 of Title 42 of the United States Code.



(9)Child care and development facilities capital outlay pursuant to Chapter 30 (commencing with Section 10470) of Part 1.8.



(10)Responsibility as the lead agency for administration of the Child Care and Development Fund, as defined in Section 98.2 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and as set forth in Sections 10211 to 10212.5, inclusive.



(11)Responsibility as the lead agency for the Child Care and Development Fund State Plan Early Learning and Care Infrastructure Grant Program pursuant to former Section 8280 of the Education Code.



(12)The Early Learning and Care Workforce Development Grants Program pursuant to Section 10311.



(13)The California Head Start State Collaboration Office funded by collaboration grants awarded pursuant to Section 9837b of Title 42 of the United States Code.



(14)The Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships Grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services.



(15)Resource and referral agencies pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10217) of Part 1.8.



(16)Strategic planning councils pursuant to Chapter 31 (commencing with Section 10480) of Part 1.8.



(17)The California Child Care Initiative Project pursuant to Section 10223.



(18)Other child care quality improvement projects.



(19)Any memoranda of understanding and partnerships related to the programs, services, and systems listed in this subdivision.



(20)The Child Development Management Information System and other related data systems as they pertain to the programs, services, and systems listed in this subdivision.







(a)For purposes of this chapter, child care resource and referral programs, established to serve a defined geographic area, shall provide the following services:



(1)(A)Identification of the full range of existing child care services through information provided by all relevant public and private agencies in the areas of service, and the development of a resource file of those services which shall be maintained and updated at least quarterly. These services shall include, but not be limited to, family child care homes, public and private child care programs, full-time and part-time programs, and infant, preschool, and extended care programs.



(B)The resource file shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:



(i)Type of program.



(ii)Hours of service.



(iii)Ages of children served.



(iv)Fees and eligibility for services.



(v)Significant program information.



(2)(A)(i)Establishment of a referral process which responds to parental need for information and which is provided with full recognition of the confidentiality rights of parents. Resource and referral programs shall make referrals to licensed child day care facilities. Referrals shall be made to unlicensed care facilities only if there is no requirement that the facility be licensed. The referral process shall afford parents maximum access to all referral information. This access shall include, but is not limited to, telephone referrals to be made available for at least 30 hours per week as part of a full week of operation. Every effort shall be made to reach all parents within the defined geographic area, including, but not limited to, any of the following:



(I)Toll-free telephone lines.



(II)Office space convenient to parents and providers.



(III)Referrals in languages which are spoken in the community.



(ii)Each child care resource and referral program shall publicize its services through all available media sources, agencies, and other appropriate methods.



(B)(i)Provision of information to any person who requests a child care referral of their right to view the licensing information of a licensed child day care facility required to be maintained at the facility pursuant to Section 1596.859 of the Health and Safety Code and to access any public files pertaining to the facility that are maintained by the departments Community Care Licensing Division.



(ii)A written or oral advisement in substantially the following form will comply with the requirements of clause (i):



State law requires licensed child day care facilities to make accessible to the public a copy of any licensing report pertaining to the facility that documents a facility visit or a substantiated complaint investigation. In addition, a more complete file regarding a child care licensee may be available at an office of the State Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division. You have the right to access any public information in these files.



(3)(A)Maintenance of ongoing documentation of requests for service tabulated through the internal referral process. The following documentation of requests for service shall be maintained by all child care resource and referral programs:



(i)Number of calls and contacts to the child care information and referral program or component.



(ii)Ages of children served.



(iii)Time category of child care request for each child.



(iv)Special time category, such as nights, weekends, and swing shift.



(v)Reason that the child care is needed.



(B)This information shall be maintained in a manner that is easily accessible for dissemination purposes and shall be accessible to strategic planning councils authorized pursuant to Section 10486 and any county implementing an individualized county child care subsidy plan.



(4)Provision of technical assistance to existing and potential providers of all types of child care services. This assistance shall include, but not be limited to:



(A)Information on all aspects of initiating new child care services including, but not limited to, licensing, zoning, program and budget development, and assistance in finding this information from other sources.



(B)Information and resources that help existing child care services providers to maximize their ability to serve the children and parents of their community.



(C)Dissemination of information on current public issues affecting the local and state delivery of child care services.



(D)Facilitation of communication between existing child care and child-related services providers in the community served.



(5)(A)(i)Provision of a child care navigator to support children in foster care, children previously in foster care upon return to their home of origin, and children of parents involved in the child welfare system, including the children of nonminor dependents. The navigator shall work with the childs family, as described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 11461.6, and the childs social worker and child and family team to assess child care opportunities appropriate to the childs age and needs, assist the family in identifying potential opportunities for an ongoing child care subsidy, assist the caregiver in completing appropriate child care program applications, and develop an overall, long-term child care plan for the child.



(ii)As a condition of receiving funds pursuant to this subparagraph, each resource and referral program shall develop and enter into a memorandum of understanding, contract, or other formal agreement with the county child welfare agency in order to facilitate interagency communication and, to the maximum extent possible, to leverage federal funding, including administrative funding, available pursuant to Title IVE of the federal Social Security Act, to enhance the navigation support authorized under this subparagraph, or the resource and referral program shall explain, in writing, annually, why entering into a memorandum of understanding, contract, or other formal agreement with the county child welfare agency is not practical or feasible. Navigator services provided pursuant to this subparagraph shall be made available to any child in foster care, any child previously in foster care who has returned to their home of origin, and any child of parents involved in the child welfare system, including any child who meets the eligibility criteria for the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children established pursuant to Section 11461.6. Eligibility for navigator services shall not be contingent on a childs receipt of a child care payment or voucher.



(B)(i)Provision of trauma-informed training and coaching to child care providers working with children, and children of parenting youth, in the foster care system. Training shall include, but not be limited to, infant and toddler development and research-based, trauma-informed best care practices. Child care providers shall be provided with coaching to assist them in applying training techniques and strategies for working with children, and children of parenting youth, in foster care.



(ii)As a condition of receiving funds pursuant to this subparagraph, each resource and referral program, in coordination with the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, shall develop and enter into a memorandum of understanding, contract, or other formal agreement with the county child welfare agency in order to, to the maximum extent possible, leverage federal funding, including training funds, available pursuant to Title IVE of the federal Social Security Act, to enhance the training support authorized under this subparagraph, or the resource and referral agency shall explain, in writing, annually, why entering into a memorandum of understanding, contract, or other formal agreement with the county child welfare agency is not practical or feasible.



(b)Services prescribed by this section shall be provided in order to maximize parental choice in the selection of child care to facilitate the maintenance and development of child care services and resources.



(c)(1)A program operating pursuant to this chapter shall, within two business days of receiving notice, remove a licensed child day care facility with a revocation or a temporary suspension order, or that is on probation from the programs referral list.



(2)A program operating pursuant to this chapter shall, within two business days of receiving notice, notify all entities, operating a program under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 10225) and Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370) in the programs jurisdiction, of a licensed child day care facility with a revocation or a temporary suspension order, or that is on probation.







(a)For purposes of this section department means the Department of Housing and Community Development.



(b)The department shall administer the Child Care and Development Facilities Loan Guaranty Fund and the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund. The department may administer the funds directly, through interagency agreements with other state agencies, through contracts with public or private entities, or through any combination thereof. If the department determines that a public or private entity is capable of making child care and development or preschool facilities loans or loan guarantees, the department may delegate the authority to review and approve those loans or guarantees to the public or private entity. The department is authorized to enter into interagency agreements to carry out the purposes of this section and Section 10305 by using the services of small business financial development corporations established pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 5 of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code. Toward this end, the department is authorized to transfer funds from the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund to the California Economic Development Grant and Loan Fund established by Section 15327 of the Government Code and to transfer funds from the Child Care and Development Facilities Loan Guaranty Fund to the California Small Business Expansion Fund established by Section 63089.5 of the Government Code. Those funds shall be deposited into a Child Care Direct Loan Fund Account and a Child Care Loan Guaranty Fund Account hereby established in the respective funds. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 15310) of Part 6.7 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code and Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 5 of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code, the funds in these accounts shall be administered in compliance with the requirements of this section and Section 10305.



(c)Eligible applicants for the loan guaranty program and the direct loan program shall include, but not be limited to, sole proprietorships, partnerships, proprietary and nonprofit corporations, and local public agencies that are responsible for contracting with or providing licensed child care and development services, preschool services, or both. Eligible facilities shall include licensed full-day and part-day child care and development facilities, preschool facilities, and licensed large family child care homes as described in Section 1597.465 of the Health and Safety Code, and licensed small family child care homes as described in Section 1597.44 of the Health and Safety Code.



(d)Loan guarantees and direct loans for family child care homes shall not be made for the purpose of purchasing a home or any real property.



(e)The State Department of Social Services shall provide input regarding program priorities that shall be considered in the funding of applications by the department. These priorities shall include, but are not limited to, the following:



(1)Geographic priorities based on the extent of need for child care and development and preschool supply-building efforts in different parts of the state.



(A)Not less than 30 percent of the loan guarantee and direct loan obligations shall benefit providers located in rural areas, as defined in subparagraph (B). If the amount of qualified applications from rural providers is insufficient to satisfy this requirement, the excess capacity reserved for rural providers may be made available to other qualified applications according to the policies and procedures of the department. The remaining 70 percent of funds shall be available to rural or urban areas and other priorities in accordance with this subdivision.



(B)For purposes of subdivision (a), rural communities are defined by any county with fewer than 400 residents per square mile.



(2)Age priorities based on the extent of need for child care and development or preschool supply-building efforts for children of different age groups.



(3)Income priorities shall include families transitioning to work or other lower income families. For purposes of this section, lower income shall have the same meaning as income eligible as set forth in Section 10271.5.



(4)Program priorities based on the extent of facilities needs among specific kinds of providers, including those that contract to administer state and federally funded child care and development or preschool programs administered by the State Department of Social Services or the State Department of Education, providers who have lost classrooms due to class size reduction or other state or local initiatives, or providers that need to expand to meet the needs of a child care or preschool initiative for recipients of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3, or any successor program.



(f)The program priorities shall reflect input from representatives of diverse sectors of the child care and development or preschool fields, financial institutions, strategic planning councils, the Child Development Programs Advisory Committee, and the State Department of Social Services for purposes of identifying communities with high percentages of recipients of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3, or any successor program, who need child care or preschool to meet work requirements. As part of its annual report to the Legislature, required pursuant to Section 50408 of the Health and Safety Code, the department shall assess and report, after consultation with the State Department of Social Services, on the performance, effectiveness, and fiscal standing of the Child Care and Development Facilities Loan Guaranty Fund and the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund. The report shall include information on the number of defaults, the types of facilities in default, and a review of the adequacy of the set-aside for rural areas specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (e).



(g)The department shall adopt regulations and establish priorities, forms, policies, and procedures for implementing and managing the Child Care and Development Facilities Loan Guaranty Fund and the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund and making the loan guarantees and direct loans authorized hereunder consistent with priorities provided by the State Department of Social Services. To the extent feasible, the department shall use applicant fees and points to cover its administrative costs. The department may use an amount of money from the Child Care and Development Facilities Loan Guaranty Fund and the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund, as appropriate, for reasonable administrative costs in any given fiscal year. Unless an appropriation for administrative costs is made in the annual Budget Act that exceeds the following limits, administrative expenditures shall not exceed 3 percent of the amount appropriated to each fund in the Budget Act of 1997.



(h)(1)The department shall adopt regulations to efficiently and effectively implement the microenterprise loan program described in this subdivision, including, but not limited to, the following:



(A)Making loans available from the Child Care and Development Facilities Direct Loan Fund to local microenterprise loan funds and other lenders who may relend the funds in appropriate amounts to eligible small family child care home providers described in Section 1597.44 of the Health and Safety Code, large family child care home providers described in Section 1597.465 of the Health and Safety Code, licensed child care and development facilities, and preschool facilities that serve up to 35 children.



(B)Authorizing a specified amount of guarantees of small loans by local microenterprise loan funds and other lenders serving eligible small family child care home providers described in Section 1597.44 of the Health and Safety Code, large family child care home providers described in Section 1597.465 of the Health and Safety Code, licensed child care and development facilities, and preschool facilities that serve up to 35 children.



(2)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this section or Section 10305, a loan made pursuant to this subdivision shall not be made for less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) or for more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and shall not be subject to the 75-percent investment restriction contained in paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 10305.



(i)The department may adopt regulations for the purposes of this section as emergency regulations in accordance with Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. For the purposes of the Administrative Procedure Act, including Section 11349.6 of the Government Code, the adoption of the regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or general welfare, notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code. Notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code, any regulation adopted pursuant to this section shall not remain in effect for more than 180 days unless the department complies with all provisions of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, as required by subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code.







(a)The department shall disburse augmentations to the base allocation for the expansion of child care and development programs to promote equal access to child development services across the state.



(b)The department shall use the formula developed pursuant to subdivision (c) and the priorities identified by strategic planning councils, unless those priorities do not meet the requirements of state or federal law, as a guide in disbursing augmentations pursuant to subdivision (a).



(c)The department shall develop a formula for prioritizing the disbursement of augmentations pursuant to this section. The formula shall give priority to allocating funds to underserved areas. The formula shall use the definition of underserved area in Section 10213.5 and direct impact indicators of need for child care and development services in the county or subcounty areas. For purposes of this section, subcounty areas include, but are not limited to, school districts, census tracts, or ZIP Code areas that are deemed by the department to be most appropriate to the type of program receiving an augmentation. Direct impact indicators of need may include, but are not limited to, the teenage pregnancy rate, the unemployment rate, area household income, or the number or percentage of families receiving public assistance, eligible for Medi-Cal, or eligible for free or reduced-price school meals, and any unique characteristics of the population served by the type of program receiving an augmentation.



(d)To promote equal access to services, the department shall include in guidelines developed for use by strategic planning councils pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 10486 guidance on identifying underserved areas and populations within counties. This guidance shall include reference to the direct impact indicators of need described in subdivision (c).







(a)The Legislature recognizes the importance of providing quality child care and preschool services. It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to assist counties in improving the retention of qualified child care and preschool employees who work directly with children who receive state-subsidized child care and preschool services.



(b)It is further the intent of the Legislature, in amending this section during the 200910 Regular Session, to address the unique challenges of the County of Los Angeles, in which an estimated 60,000 low-income children receive subsidized child care in nonstate-funded child care settings and an additional 50,000 eligible children are waiting for subsidized services.



(c)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), the funds appropriated for the purposes of this section by paragraph (11) of Schedule (b) of Item 6110-196-0001 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2000 (Chapter 52 of the Statutes of 2000), and that are described in subdivision (i) of Provision 7 of that item, and any other funds appropriated for purposes of this section, shall be allocated to strategic child care and development planning councils based on the percentage of state-subsidized, center-based child care and preschool funds received in that county, and shall be used to address the retention of qualified child care and preschool employees in state-subsidized child care centers and preschools.



(2)Of the funds identified in paragraph (1), funds qualified pursuant to subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, may also be used to address the retention of qualified persons working in licensed child care and preschool programs that serve a majority of children who receive subsidized child care and preschool services pursuant to this chapter, including, but not limited to, family child care homes as defined in Section 1596.78 of the Health and Safety Code. To qualify for use pursuant to this paragraph, the funds shall meet all of the following requirements:



(A)The funds are allocated for use in the County of Los Angeles.



(B)The funds are appropriated in the annual Budget Act.



(C)The funds are unexpended after addressing the retention of qualified child care and preschool employees in state-subsidized child care centers and family child care home education networks.



(d)The department shall develop guidelines for use by strategic planning councils in developing county plans for the expenditure of funds allocated pursuant to this section. These guidelines shall be consistent with the departments assessment of the current needs of the subsidized child care and preschool workforce, and shall be subject to the approval of the Department of Finance. Any county plan developed pursuant to these guidelines shall be approved by the department prior to the allocation of funds to the strategic planning council.



(e)Funds provided to a county for the purposes of this section shall be used in accordance with the plan approved pursuant to subdivision (d). A county with an approved plan may retain up to 1 percent of the countys total allocation made pursuant to this section for reimbursement of administrative expenses associated with the planning process.



(f)The department shall provide an annual report, no later than April 10 of each year, to the Legislature, the Department of Finance, and the Governor that includes, but is not limited to, a summary of the distribution of the funds by county and a description of the use of the funds.









(a)The Governor shall appoint an advisory committee composed of one representative from the State Board of Education, one representative of private education, one representative of child welfare, one representative of private health care, two representatives of proprietary child care agencies, one representative of a community action agency qualified under Title II of the federal Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, two representatives of family daycare homes, one representative of a child care provider exempt from licensure, five parents of children participating in child care programs of whom at least three shall be parents of children participating in publicly subsidized child development programs, and one shall be a parent of a child receiving care from a child care provider exempt from licensure, appointed from names selected by a democratic process to ensure representation of the parents of children being served, four persons representing professional or civic groups or public or nonprofit private agencies, organizations or groups concerned with child development, one person who administers a public school child care program, one person who administers a county office of education schoolage child care program, and one teacher currently serving in a public school childrens center.



(b)The advisory committee also shall include one representative from the department, and one representative each from the Employment Development Department, the State Department of Education, the State Department of Health Care Services, and the State Department of Developmental Services, appointed by the respective director of each department.



(c)The advisory committee shall assist the department in developing a state plan for child development programs pursuant to this chapter.



(d)The advisory committee shall provide ongoing coordination and communication to strategic planning councils to facilitate activities and provide technical assistance as needed.



(e)The advisory committee shall continually evaluate the effectiveness of those programs and shall report thereon at each regular session of the Legislature.



(f)The advisory committee shall assist in and coordinate the drafting of guidelines for strategic planning councils pursuant to Chapter 31 (commencing with Section 10480). The advisory committee shall request state and local agencies to submit suggested guidelines. The final guidelines shall be drafted and adopted by the committee, in consultation with local child care agencies, strategic planning councils, the department, and the State Department of Education. The guidelines shall include, but not be limited to, provisions for assessing child care supply, demand, cost, and facility needs, in terms of age, family income level, special needs, and multilingual and multicultural backgrounds. Guidelines developed for programs administered by the department shall be concurred in by the department.







Before implementing the local subsidy plan, the City and County of San Francisco, in consultation with the department, shall develop an individualized county child care subsidy plan for the city and county that includes the following four elements:



(a)An assessment to identify the city and countys goal for its subsidized child care system. The assessment shall examine whether the current structure of subsidized child care funding adequately supports working families in the city and county and whether the city and countys child care goals coincide with the states requirements for funding, eligibility, priority, and reimbursement. The assessment shall also identify barriers in the states child care subsidy system that inhibit the city and county from meeting its child care goals. In conducting the assessment, the city and county shall consider all of the following:



(1)The general demographics of families who are in need of child care, including employment, income, language, ethnic, and family composition.



(2)The current supply of available subsidized child care.



(3)The level of need for various types of subsidized child care services including, but not limited to, infant care, after-hours care, and care for children with exceptional needs.



(4)The city and countys self-sufficiency income level.



(5)Income eligibility levels for subsidized child care.



(6)Family fees.



(7)The cost of providing child care.



(8)The regional market rates, as established by the department, for different types of child care.



(9)The standard reimbursement rate or state per diem for centers operating under contracts with the department.



(10)Trends in the countys unemployment rate and housing affordability index.



(b)Development of a local policy to eliminate state-imposed regulatory barriers to the city and countys achievement of its desired outcomes for subsidized child care.



(1)The local policy shall do all of the following:



(A)Prioritize lowest income families first.



(B)Follow the family fee schedule established pursuant to Section 10290 of this code or Section 8252 of Education Code, as applicable, for those families that are income eligible, as defined by Section 10271.5 of this code or Section 8213 of the Education Code, as applicable.



(C)Meet local goals that are consistent with the states child care goals.



(D)Identify existing policies that would be affected by the city and countys child care subsidy plan.



(E)(i)Authorize any agency that provides child care and development services in the city and county through a contract with the department to apply to the department to amend existing contracts in order to benefit from the local policy once it is adopted.



(ii)The department shall approve an application to amend an existing contract if the child care subsidy plan is approved pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 10352, or modified pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 10352.



(iii)The contract of a department contractor who does not elect to request an amendment to its contract remains operative and enforceable.



(2)(A)The city and county shall, by the end of the first fiscal year of operation under the approved child care subsidy plan, demonstrate an increase in the aggregate child days of enrollment in the county as compared to the enrollment in the final quarter of the 200405 fiscal year.



(B)The amount of the increase shall be at least equal to the aggregate child days of enrollment in the final quarter of the 200405 fiscal year for all contracts amended as provided in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1), under which the contractor receives an increase in its reimbursement rate, times 2 percent.



(C)The amount of the increase shall also be proportional to the total contract maximum reimbursable amount to reflect the changes in the budget allocation for each fiscal year of the plan.



(3)The local policy may supersede state law concerning child care subsidy programs with regard only to the following factors:



(A)Provide a family that qualifies for the second or third stage of child care services pursuant to Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370), for purposes of eligibility, fees, and reimbursements, the same or higher level of benefit as a family that qualifies for subsidized child care on another basis pursuant to the local policy, except as otherwise provided in Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370). Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to impact or reduce any element in the second or third stage of child care services pursuant to Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 10370) that provides a greater benefit to participating families than is provided for in the local policy.



(B)Fees including, but not limited to, family fees, sliding scale fees, and copayments for those families that are not income eligible, as defined by Section 10271.5 of this code or Section 8213 of the Education Code, as applicable.



(C)Reimbursement rates, including adjustment factors identified in Section 10281.5 of this code or Section 8244 of the Education Code, as applicable.



(D)Methods of maximizing the efficient use of subsidy funds, including, but not limited to, multiyear contracting with the department for center-based child care, and interagency agreements that allow for flexible and temporary transfer of funds among agencies.



(c)Recognition that all funding sources utilized by direct service contractors that provide child care and development services in the city and county are eligible to be included in the child care subsidy plan of the city and county.



(d)Establishment of measurable outcomes to evaluate the success of the plan to achieve the city and countys child care goals and to overcome any barriers identified in the states child care subsidy system. The department shall have an opportunity to review and comment on the proposed measurable outcomes before they are submitted to the strategic planning council for approval pursuant to Section 10352.



(e)Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the city and county to change the regional market rate survey results for the city and county.



(f)Nothing in this section shall allow the city and county to adopt as part of its plan an increase to the regional market reimbursement rate beyond the level provided in the Budget Act.



(g)The plan may include stage one child care services in addition to alternative payment and direct service child care programs. If the plan includes CalWORKs child care, the plan administrator shall consult with their county welfare department to identify opportunities for alignment, ensuring families experience no break in their child care services due to a transition between the three stages of child care services and policies implemented in the plan.







(a)The plan shall be submitted to the strategic planning council, as defined in Section 10480, for approval. Upon approval of the plan by the strategic planning council, the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco shall hold at least one public hearing on the plan. Following the hearing, if the board of supervisors votes in favor of the plan, the plan shall be submitted to the department for review.



(b)Within 30 days of receiving the plan, the department shall review and either approve or disapprove the plan.



(c)Within 30 days of receiving any modification to the plan, the department shall review and either approve or disapprove that modification to the plan.



(d)The department may disapprove only those portions of the plan or modifications to the plan that are not in conformance with this chapter or that are in conflict with federal law.







(a)By January 31, 1998, the State Department of Education and the State Department of Social Services shall design a form for license-exempt child care providers to use for certifying health and safety requirements to the extent required by federal law. Until the form is adopted, the information required pursuant to Section 11324 shall continue to be maintained by the county welfare department or contractor, as appropriate.



(b)By January 31, 1998, the State Department of Education and the State Department of Social Services shall do both of the following:



(1)Design a standard process for complaints by parents about the provision of child care that is exempt from licensure.



(2)Design, in consultation with strategic planning councils, a single application for all child care programs and all families.



(c)(1)County welfare departments and alternative payment programs shall encourage all providers who are licensed or who are exempt from licensure and who are providing care under Section 10371, 10372, or 10372.5 to secure training and education in basic child development.



(2)Child care provider job training provided to CalWORKs recipients that is funded by either the State Department of Education or the State Department of Social Services shall include information on becoming a licensed child care provider.



(d)The department shall increase consumer education and consumer awareness activities so that parents will have the information needed to seek child care of high quality. High-quality child care shall include both licensed and license-exempt care.







(a)County welfare departments and alternative payment programs shall provide to the department and the strategic planning council, on a monthly basis, data about child care usage and demand in each of the three stages. The department shall forward this data quarterly to the Department of Finance and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for fiscal planning.



(b)By January 10 of each year, the Department of Finance shall present to the respective legislative budget committees an estimate of the cost of funding the expected demand for child care as described in subdivision (a) of Section 10371 and Sections 10372 and 10372.5.











For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:



(a)Child care means all licensed child care and development services, early childhood education services, and license-exempt child care, including, but not limited to, private for-profit programs, nonprofit programs, and publicly funded programs, for all children up to and including 12 years of age, including children with exceptional needs and children from all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.



(b)Child care provider means a person who provides child care services or represents persons who provide child care services.



(c)Consumer means a parent or person who receives, or who has received within the past 36 months, child care services.



(d)Strategic planning council means a local child care and development planning council, as described in Section 10485.













(a)It is the intent of the Legislature that strategic local child care and development planning councils shall provide a forum to identify local priorities for child care and to develop policies to meet the needs identified within those priorities, and shall seek to create a local system of support for child care. 



(b)(1)The strategic planning council shall be comprised as follows:



(A)One representative from a resource and referral agency in the county. This representative shall be appointed by a majority vote of all resource and referral agencies in the county.



(B)One representative from an alternative payment provider in the county. This representative shall be appointed by a majority vote of all alternative payment providers in the county.



(C)One representative from the local First 5 county commission.



(D)One representative from the county office of education.



(E)One representative from a school district that provides transitional kindergarten within the county.



(F)One representative from the county board of supervisors.



(G)One representative from the county human services department.



(H)One representative from the parent advisory committee established pursuant to paragraph (5). This representative shall be appointed by a majority vote of the members of the parent advisory committee.



(I)One representative from the provider advisory committee established pursuant to paragraph (6). This representative shall be appointed by a majority vote of the members of the provider advisory committee.



(J)One representative of a local postsecondary educational institution that receives state or federal funds and offers a degree, training, or professional development courses in child care, child development, or preschool.



(K)Other local government agencies, such as health services, human services, social services, regional centers, school districts, and special education local plan areas, that provide services to children from birth to 12 years of age, inclusive.



(L)Other representatives, at the discretion of the strategic planning council.



(2)Notwithstanding any other law, one individual may represent more than one of the categories identified in subparagraphs (A) to (I), inclusive, of paragraph (1).



(3)The members of the strategic planning council shall serve a term of three years.



(4)(A)The representative identified in subparagraph (J) of paragraph (1) shall be nominated by a majority vote of the other members of the strategic planning council and shall be appointed by the county board of supervisors or the county superintendent of schools.



(B)The county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools may each appoint one-half of the members nominated pursuant to subparagraphs (K) and (L) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b). If there is an uneven number of appointees, the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools shall agree on the odd-numbered appointee.



(5)The parent advisory committee shall be made up of consumers and may include, but is not limited to, the following members:



(A)One consumer who receives services from a family child care home provider or a family, friend, or neighbor provider.



(B)One consumer who receives services from a child care center provider.



(C)One consumer who receives services from a transitional kindergarten provider.



(D)One consumer who represents a tribal organization who receives services from a child care provider.



(E)One consumer who is a parent of a child with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 8208, who receives services from a child care provider.



(F)One consumer who receives services from an after school program.



(6)The provider advisory committee may include, but is not limited to, the following members:



(A)One family child care home provider or a family, friend, or neighbor provider.



(B)One child care provider licensed pursuant to Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.



(C)One child care provider licensed pursuant to Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.



(D)One Head Start provider.



(E)One representative from a labor union that represents child care providers in the county.



(F)One representative from a child care provider experienced in providing services to children with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 10213.5, in a full inclusion environment.



(G)One representative from a child care provider experienced in providing services to children of migrant families.



(c)Every effort shall be made to ensure that the ethnic, racial, and geographic composition of the strategic planning council is reflective of the ethnic, racial, and geographic distribution of the population of the county.



(d)The county board of supervisors and county superintendent of schools may designate an existing child care planning council or coordinated child and family services council as the strategic planning council, as long as it has or can achieve the representation set forth in this section.



(e)Upon establishment of a strategic planning council, the strategic planning council shall elect a chair and select a staff.



(f)Each strategic planning council shall develop and implement a training plan to provide increased efficiency, productivity, and facilitation of strategic planning council meetings. This may include developing a training manual, hiring facilitators, and identifying strategies to meet the objectives of the council.



(g)A member of a strategic planning council shall not participate in a vote if the member has a proprietary interest in the outcome of the matter being voted upon.



(h)Notwithstanding any other law, the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools may mutually agree to merge the strategic planning council and the Quality Rating and Improvement System local consortia, as defined in Section 8203.1 of the Education Code, as long as it can achieve the representation set forth in this section.



(i)(1)Notwithstanding any other law, the county boards of supervisors and the county superintendents of schools in two or more contiguous counties may mutually agree to merge their strategic planning councils, as long as it can achieve the representation set forth in this section.



(2)If two or more counties choose to exercise the option to merge their strategic planning councils pursuant to paragraph (1), the strategic planning council shall make every effort to ensure that meetings and stakeholder forums are accessible to consumers and providers in all of the counties that the strategic planning council represents. This may be achieved by alternating the location of meetings between the counties, hosting meetings at a central point between the counties, or live broadcasting strategic planning council meetings at multiple locations within the counties.







(a)The department shall allocate child care funding pursuant to this part based on the amount of state and federal funding that is available.



(b)By May 30 of each year, upon approval by the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools, a strategic planning council shall submit to the department and the State Department of Education its local priorities, identified by ZIP Code and prioritized by the strategic planning council according to greatest child care needs in the county. To accomplish this, a strategic planning council shall do both of the following:



(1)Encourage public input in the development of the strategic planning councils local priorities. Opportunities for public input shall include at least one public hearing during which members of the public can comment on the proposed priorities.



(2)Collaborate with subsidized and nonsubsidized child care providers, county welfare departments, human service agencies, regional centers, job training programs, employers, integrated child and family service councils, local and state children and families commissions, parent organizations, early start family resource centers, family empowerment centers on disability, local child care resource and referral programs, and other interested parties to foster partnerships designed to meet local child care needs.



(c)(1)A strategic planning council shall conduct an assessment of child care needs in the county no less frequently than once every five years. The department shall define and prescribe data elements to be included in the needs assessment and shall specify the format for the data reporting. Beginning in 2027, the strategic planning council shall use the needs assessment template developed by the department in collaboration with the strategic planning councils. The needs assessment shall be submitted to the department by May 30 of each year in which it is due.



(2)The State Department of Public Health, local departments of social services and welfare, local regional centers, special education local plan areas, and local resource and referral agencies shall provide to the department the information necessary for strategic planning councils to complete the needs assessment.



(3)The department shall, in conjunction with all appropriate statewide agencies and associations, develop guidelines for use by strategic planning councils to assist them in conducting needs assessments that are reliable and accurate. The guidelines shall include acceptable sources of demographic and child care data, and methodologies for assessing child care supply and demand.



(4)The department shall allocate funding within each county in accordance with the priorities identified by the strategic planning council of that county and submitted to the department pursuant to this section, unless the priorities do not meet the requirements of state or federal law.







(a)(1)On or before March 30, 2027, and every three years thereafter, a strategic planning council shall develop and submit to the county board of supervisors and the county board of education a strategic plan and investment priorities using the template that shall be adopted by the department in collaboration with the strategic planning councils and First 5 California. Before the strategic plan and investment priorities can be submitted for approval, the strategic planning council shall do all of the following:



(A)Post the most recent needs assessment developed pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 10486 on the strategic planning councils internet website and share the needs assessment with all school districts in the county no later than January 1 of each year in which a strategic plan and investment priorities will be submitted.



(B)Seek input from the parent advisory committee and the provider advisory committee established pursuant to Section 10485.



(C)Identify existing publicly owned facilities that could house a child care program. The strategic planning council shall periodically survey school districts, county offices of education, and city and county governments to identify sites that could house a child care program and the modifications that each site would need to meet child care health and safety requirements.



(D)Encourage public input in the development of the strategic plan and investment priorities. Opportunities for public input shall include at least one public hearing during which members of the public can comment on the proposed strategic plan and investment priorities before submission to the county board of supervisors and the county board of education.



(2)The strategic plan shall address facility needs, workforce needs, family access, and quality and transition planning. The investment priorities shall identify priorities for the county board of supervisors, the county board of education, and the Legislature.



(3)The county board of supervisors and the county board of education shall hold public hearings on the proposed strategic plan and investment priorities at a regularly scheduled meeting. The hearings shall be held before adoption of the strategic plan and investment priorities and may be no sooner than three days after the proposed strategic plan and investment priorities are posted on the strategic planning councils internet website. The county board of supervisors and the county board of education shall each approve the strategic plan and investment priorities no later than July 1 of each year in which a strategic plan and investment priorities are submitted.



(4)A strategic plan and investment priorities shall be effective for a period of three years and shall be updated each intervening year by March 30.



(b)At least twice each year, a strategic planning council shall convene a forum for stakeholders to provide input to and receive updates from the Quality Rating and Improvement System local consortium, as defined in Section 8203.1 of the Education Code.



(c)A strategic planning council shall work with the county office of education, special education local plan areas, and the school districts and regional centers in the county to facilitate the transition of children with exceptional needs into the K12 system.



(d)The operation of this section is contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act for purposes of this section. 







It is the intent of the Legislature that any additional conditions imposed upon strategic planning councils shall be funded from available federal funds to the greatest extent legally possible.







(a)(1)The State Department of Social Services, in consultation with the State Department of Education, shall convene a public workgroup to provide recommendations to the State Department of Social Services for the development of the Framework, the Equity Tool, and recommended uses of the Equity Tool for early childhood investments and whole child resources to address racial and economic inequities for Californias youngest children.



(2)The workgroup shall include parents and families from historically underserved communities and shall include, but not be limited to, other stakeholders that bring insight to support the whole child, which may include practitioners, experts, researchers, or advocates in childcare and development, physical and mental health, childhood adversity, family support and engagement, community safety, economic well-being, and built environments, representatives from First 5 California and local First 5 commissions, representatives of duly designated collective bargaining agents of family childcare home providers, and representatives from resource and referral agencies, strategic planning councils, and county offices of education. Workgroup members shall reflect the racial, ethnic, linguistic, and economic diversities of the State of California and represent the interests of individuals who are Black, Latinx, and Indigenous, people of color, multilingual communities, LGBTQIA+ families, children with disabilities, and families from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities that have been disproportionately marginalized. The workgroup shall provide updates to the Early Childhood Policy Council to ensure that the council is informed on the workgroups recommendations.



(3)The workgroup is subject to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).



(b)On or before January 1, 2025, with input from the workgroup, the State Department of Social Services shall finalize and present the Framework, the Equity Tool, and recommended uses of the Equity Tool to the Legislature. The Framework and the Equity Tool shall be used to build on the existing strengths of communities and support them to address their critical needs of young children.



(c)The State Department of Social Services shall publish the tool for public use, including the data and methodology, on the departments internet website.





If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.