(a) There is established by the Council an Early Childhood Educator Equitable Compensation Task Force ("Task Force") to provide recommendations on how to implement an employee compensation scale for early childhood development providers.
(b)(1) The Task Force shall be comprised of the Chairman of the Council, or his or her designee, the State Superintendent of Education, or his or her designee, and 12 District residents, appointed by the Chairman, representing the following entities or groups:
(A) Families whose children are receiving or have received childcare services from an early childhood development provider in the District;
(B) Community-based organizations;
(C) Early childhood advocacy organizations;
(D) Operators of child development facilities who participate in the childcare subsidy program;
(E) Operators of child development facilities who do not currently participate in the childcare subsidy program;
(F) Operators of home-based child development facilities;
(G) Educators of child development facilities; and
(H) An individual with an expertise in economics or policy, who has an understanding of the District's early childhood development and education sector.
(2) At least 2 members of the Task Force shall be employees of child development facilities.
(3) The Chairman, or his or her designee, shall serve as the Chairperson of the Task Force.
(c) The Task Force shall:
(1) Review the findings and recommendations of the Early Childhood Educator Compensation in the Washington Region study completed by the Urban Institute and any completed employee compensation scale and other relevant materials provided by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education; and
(2) Submit a report to the Mayor and Council by January 15, 2022, that:
(A) Assesses the potential impact of implementing an employee compensation scale on early childhood development providers that:
(i) Do not provide childcare services to children eligible for subsidy; or
(ii) Serve a minimum number of children who receive subsidy;
(B) Proposes an employee compensation scale for early childhood development providers that accounts for employee role, credentials, and experience; and
(C) Provides recommendations for implementing the employee compensation scale, which at a minimum considers:
(i) Equitable implementation that accounts for different staffing models, types, and sizes of early childhood development facilities;
(ii) Long-term implications of the District providing funds to early childhood providers to implement the pay scale, including how to allocate funds for new early childhood development facilities that open after legislation is enacted; provided, that recommendations do not exceed the $70 million appropriated in the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, plus any amounts adjusted for inflation in years beyond Fiscal Year 2023; and
(iii) Oversight, reporting, and accountability mechanisms for the use of funds allocated to early childhood development providers from the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund.
(Nov. 13, 2021, D.C. Law 24-45, § 1103, 68 DCR 010163.)
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2 of Early Childhood Educator Equitable Compensation Task Force Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Act 24-311, Jan. 24, 2022, 69 DCR 000647).
For temporary (90 days) creation of this section, see § 1103 of Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2021 (D.C. Act 24-159, Aug. 23, 2021, 68 DCR 008602).
For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 2 of Early Childhood Educator Equitable Compensation Task Force Temporary Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Law 24-106, Apr. 8, 2022, 69 DCR 001476).