Childcare: facility licensure: teacher requirements.

The 'to version' adds website navigation and UI elements (skip to content, home, accessibility, FAQ, feedback, sitemap, login, Quick Search fields, bill information links, version history dropdown) that are part of the web page layout rather than the bill text itself.

Minor formatting differences: the chaptered version includes page numbers (93, -2-, -3-, etc.) and different spacing; the web version uses 'October 01, 2025' instead of 'October 1, 2025' and presents section text with slightly different line breaks.

The bill was assigned Chapter number 165 and received the standard 'STATE OF CALIFORNIA AUTHENTICATED ELECTRONIC LEGAL MATERIAL' header replacing the enrolled bill header with passage dates.

Governor approval date (October 1, 2025) and filing date were added to the document.

The entire provision (former Health and Safety Code Section 1596.8791) that would have deemed childcare facilities licensed to serve preschool children as also licensed to serve infants or toddlers - subject to conditions like not being on probation, submitting a complete application, and certifying by affidavit that the facility met regulatory requirements - was deleted from the bill.

Legislative findings and declarations were added stating that California's early learning and childcare system faces a 'dire staffing shortage' impacting quality care for children from birth to five, and that eradicating barriers to entering the profession is important for families, children, and the economy.

A new 'assistant teacher permit' was created (Education Code Section 8301.1 for state preschools and Welfare and Institutions Code Section 10383.1 for general childcare programs). To qualify, an applicant needs at least 6 units from an accredited institution in early childhood education, child development, or human development; must have an education plan updated each academic year; must be enrolled in courses toward the next permit level; and must be sponsored by an employer with a current state contract. The permit allows the holder to assist in care, development, and instruction under supervision of a fully credentialed teacher, including temporarily supervising children independently during breaks or when escorting them.

Assistant teacher permits are valid for no more than 2 years from issuance and cannot be renewed. The Commission on Teacher Credentialing must implement the provisions by January 30, 2026. The sections become inoperative upon implementation of the commission's revised child development permit matrix.

New data reporting requirements were added (Education Code Section 8231.5 and Welfare and Institutions Code Section 10267.6) allowing the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Director of Social Services to require contracting agencies to report the number of employees holding assistant teacher permits or who qualified for waivers, as part of annual self-evaluation plans or existing reporting processes.

The bill was made an urgency statute, meaning it takes effect immediately upon passage rather than on January 1 of the following year. The stated necessity is addressing the dire staffing shortage in early learning and childcare.

The vote requirement was changed from a simple majority to a two-thirds vote, consistent with the urgency clause requiring supermajority approval.

The entire interim associate teacher provision (Education Code Section 8296 and Welfare and Institutions Code Section 10380.2) is deleted. This provision would have allowed preschool and childcare programs to employ uncredentialed teachers for up to two years while they pursued a Child Development Associate Teacher Permit, starting July 1, 2026.

Assistant teacher permit holders may now only temporarily supervise children independently for no more than 120 minutes per day, a new daily cap not present in the prior version.

A new cap limits the number of assistant teacher permitholders at a single site to no more than 50 percent of the number of classrooms at that site, and prohibits assigning more than one assistant teacher to each classroom.

The sunset date changes from becoming inoperative upon implementation of the revised child development permit matrix to one year after implementation or January 1, 2029, whichever is later, potentially extending the provisions' lifespan by up to a year.

A new provision allows the department to implement the assistant teacher permit section through management bulletins or similar instructions (or childcare bulletins for the Welfare and Institutions Code version) until formal regulations are adopted.

Data collection provisions now explicitly authorize collection by survey or another method, adding flexibility in how reporting is conducted. The term 'employer' is replaced with 'contracting agency' in several places for precision.

Head Start providers were removed from the list of programs eligible for deemed infant/toddler licensure under Section 1596.8791 (Health and Safety Code). Previously, a Head Start provider licensed to serve preschool children could be deemed licensed to also serve infants or toddlers; now only California state preschool programs, migrant childcare and development programs, and general childcare and development programs qualify.

In Section 8296 (Education Code), the language was changed from 'shall allow' to 'may allow,' making it permissive rather than mandatory for California state preschool programs to use the two-year interim associate teacher credentialing pathway. Programs now have the option but are not required to offer this arrangement.

In Section 10380.2 (Welfare and Institutions Code), the language was similarly changed from 'shall allow' to 'may allow,' making the two-year interim associate teacher credentialing pathway optional rather than mandatory for general childcare and development programs.

Terminology was cleaned up throughout: redundant phrases like 'individual employed as a teacher' were replaced with the defined term 'interim associate teacher,' and the credential requirement language was simplified from referencing the full Commission on Teacher Credentialing Child Development Permit Matrix to simply requiring a Child Development Associate Teacher Permit or equivalent.

The term 'teacher' is replaced throughout with 'interim associate teacher,' a newly defined role meaning an employee authorized to provide program supervision and instruction including supervision of aides, volunteers, and groups of children. This narrows who qualifies for the two-year credential pursuit period.

A new condition requires the interim associate teacher to have at least six units from an accredited institution of higher education in early childhood education, child development, or human development (or a combination thereof) before they can be placed in the two-year credential track.

The bill changed from 'shall allow' to 'may allow' for both state preschool programs and general childcare and development programs, making the two-year credential pursuit period optional rather than mandatory for providers.

Section 1596.8791 (infant/toddler licensing) was expanded to cover migrant childcare and development programs and general childcare and development programs in addition to state preschool programs and Head Start provider programs, broadening which facilities can operate under deemed licensure for infants or toddlers.

Section 10380.2 was narrowed from applying to all 'childcare and development programs' to specifically 'general childcare and development programs,' excluding other types of childcare and development programs from the two-year credential provision.

A new affidavit requirement was added to the infant/toddler licensing provision: providers must certify by affidavit that the facility meets all requirements under Chapter 1 of Division 12 of Title 22, including specific items such as orientations, emergency and disaster plans, personnel reports, facility sketches, property control documentation, admissions agreements, parent handbooks, and job descriptions.

New penalty protection provisions were added to both Section 8296 and Section 10380.2 stating that a program shall not be penalized for employing an interim associate teacher if it is in compliance with the section's conditions.