(a) Conduct a periodic statewide needs assessment concerning the quality and availability of early childhood education and development programs and services for children from birth to school age, including an assessment of the availability of high-quality prekindergarten services for low-income children in this state.

(b) Identify opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration and coordination among federally funded and state-funded child care and early childhood education and development programs and services, including collaboration and coordination among state agencies responsible for administering those programs and services.

(c) Develop recommendations for increasing the overall participation of children in existing federal, state and local early childhood education and development programs and services, including outreach to underrepresented and special populations.

(d) Develop recommendations for establishing a unified data collection system for public early childhood education and development programs and services throughout this state.

(e) Develop recommendations regarding statewide professional development and career advancement plans for providers of early childhood education and development programs and services in this state.

(f) Assess the capacity and effectiveness of two-year and four-year public and private institutions of higher education in this state in supporting the development of early childhood educators, including the extent to which the institutions have articulation agreements, professional development and career advancement plans, and internships or other training opportunities that allow students to spend time with children enrolled in the federal Head Start program or another prekindergarten program. The assessment conducted under this paragraph must be conducted in coordination with appropriate higher education governance bodies.

(g) Make recommendations for improvements in state early learning standards and undertake efforts to develop high-quality comprehensive early learning standards when appropriate.

(2) The council shall hold public hearings and provide an opportunity for public comment in relation to the actions described in subsection (1) of this section.

(3)(a) The council shall submit an annual statewide strategic report addressing the activities described in subsection (1) of this section to the State Director of Head Start Collaboration, the Legislative Assembly and the Governor.

(b) Following submission of a statewide strategic report described in paragraph (a) of this subsection, the council may meet periodically to review the implementation of the recommendations in the report and to review any changes in state or local needs. [2012 c.37 §§7,8; 2015 c.774 §§32,62; 2019 c.395 §§8,9]

Note: 417.796 and 417.798 were enacted into law by the Legislative Assembly but were not added to or made a part of ORS chapter 417 or any series therein by legislative action. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.