Childcare: 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 state's early childhood education system. This bill would require the above-described report to include, at a minimum, the successes, challenges, and gaps in the state's early childhood education systems and recommendations to facilitate advancing the state's vision for children, families, and communities. The bill would require the council to annually submit the report to the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature. 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.