(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 California’s 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, local 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 workgroup’s 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 department’s internet website.

(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 699, Sec. 2. (AB 2832) Effective January 1, 2023.)