STRATEGIC PLAN TO SUPPORT CHILD-CARE WORKFORCE.

(a) The commission shall prepare a strategic plan for improving the quality of the infant, toddler, preschool, and school-age child-care workforce in this state. The strategic plan must include:

(1) recommendations for local workforce development boards to improve, sustain, and support the child-care workforce;

(2) recommendations for increasing compensation for and reducing turnover of child-care workers;

(3) recommendations for eliminating pay disparities in the child-care workforce;

(4) recommendations for increasing paid opportunities for professional development and education for child-care workers, including apprenticeships;

(5) best practices from local workforce development boards in this state and other programs designed to support child-care workers;

(6) recommendations for increasing participation in the Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System;

(7) recommendations for public and private institutions of higher education to:

(A) increase the use of articulation agreements with school districts and open-enrollment charter schools; and

(B) assist in the education and training of child-care workers;

(8) specific recommendations for improving the infant and toddler child-care workforce; and

(9) a timeline and benchmarks for the commission and local workforce development boards to implement recommendations from the strategic plan.

(b) The commission shall convene a workgroup to assist the commission in developing the plan. The workgroup shall include:

(1) child-care providers;

(2) community stakeholders; and

(3) child-care workers.

(c) The commission shall use the following information in creating the plan:

(1) demographic data of child-care workers in this state, including:

(A) the race, ethnicity, gender, and educational attainment of child-care workers; and

(B) the ages of the children the worker serves;

(2) compensation data for child-care workers disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, and educational attainment;

(3) the information described by Subdivisions (1) and (2) for a representative sample set of child-care facilities in the state; and

(4) information provided by the workgroup established under Subsection (b).

(d) The commission shall provide the strategic plan prepared under this section to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives.

(e) The commission shall update the strategic plan prepared under this section every three years.