The proposed legislation, General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 7044, mandates the establishment of an electronic portal known as the Early Care and Education Program Portal by the Office of Early Childhood by July 1, 2028. This portal will provide real-time information regarding the availability of slots in early care and education programs across the state, including subsidized slots. It will be accessible via the Internet and a mobile application, and will allow early care providers to efficiently update slot availability and enrollment information through their existing child-care management software.

Additionally, the portal will offer families the opportunity to apply for child-care subsidies and provide stakeholders and policymakers with tools to analyze early care and education needs on a town, regional, and state-wide basis. The bill introduces new legal language to create this portal and outlines its functionalities, while there are no deletions from current law specified in the text. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.