Bill > HB2426

This bill establishes an Early Educator Workforce Development Resource Task Force, composed of various state commissioners and appointed members, to assess and strengthen resources for individuals pursuing careers as early educators, which are defined as those working in childcare or preschool settings for children from birth to kindergarten enrollment, or in licensed afterschool programs for children up to twelve years old. The task force will identify existing state and federal programs, such as the Tennessee Promise scholarship and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), examine how these resources can be better coordinated, assess gaps in training and credentialing, and develop recommendations for improvement, with a final report due by December 31, 2026, after which the task force will cease to exist. Additionally, the bill allows privately operated childcare programs and agencies that serve children from birth to kindergarten enrollment to be approved as clinical practice sites for educator preparation programs, provided they meet specific criteria and the educator preparation program operates a registered apprenticeship program approved by the department of education.