Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10492. Section 10492.
This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the End Racial and Economic Inequities in Childcare in California Initiative.
CHAPTER 34. Whole Child Community Equity [10492. - 10492.2]
Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC 34.
in effectCal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10492.1. Section 10492.1.
(a)
The State Department of Social Services, in consultation with the State Department of Education, and with input from early childhood stakeholders, shall develop the Whole Child Equity Framework (the Framework) and Whole Child Community Equity Screening Tool (the Equity Tool). The Framework shall outline categories that are essential to supporting children 0 to
13 years of age, inclusive, through a whole child approach, including, but not limited to, access to childcare, physical and mental health services, education, childhood adversity and community safety, economic well-being, and built environments. “Built environments” means all of the physical parts of where families live and work such as homes, buildings, streets, open spaces, and infrastructure. The Framework shall guide the development of the Equity Tool that will consist of indicators aligned with each of the Framework’s categories. The Equity Tool will examine community-level data for the indicators and classify communities based on higher or lower values for these indicators. This approach will identify highest-need communities across the state with significant disparities across indicators that are essential to supporting the whole child. It will
provide the data needed to support the equitable distribution of resources and monitor progress on addressing racial and economic inequities.
(b)
With input from early childhood stakeholders, and in consultation with the State Department of Education, the State Department of Social Services shall develop the Equity Tool building on an existing index or set of indicators from existing indices such as the Child Opportunity Index, the California Healthy Places Index, the Human Development Index, the California Strong Start Index, the COVID-19 Statewide Vulnerability and Recovery Index, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Social Vulnerability
Index. Data available in Brilliant Beginnings, the California Cradle-to-Career Data System, and other relevant data can be utilized as needed. The State Department of Social Services shall also consider indicators that address disparities that impact young children related to state priorities such racial inequities reflected in learning loss and learning recovery due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10492.2 Section 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 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.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026