The proposed bill, known as the "Rhode Island Early Educator Workforce Act," aims to address the challenges faced by early childhood educators in Rhode Island, particularly concerning low wages and workforce retention. The bill mandates that the Department of Human Services and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education work collaboratively to manage existing workforce development and compensation programs for educators working in licensed child care and early learning programs statewide.

Specifically, the bill includes provisions for managing the Rhode Island T.E.A.C.H. early childhood program, which is a comprehensive, research-based workforce development scholarship program designed to support the attainment of the national Child Development Associate credential and the completion of college coursework and degrees in early childhood education and child or youth development. It also establishes registered apprenticeships for early educators that support the attainment of national credentials and provide opportunities for on-the-job coaching by master early educators.

Additionally, the bill allocates at least $1,000,000 annually to continue the Child Care WAGE$ program, which is designed to improve compensation, education, and retention of early educators by providing education-based salary supplements to lower-paid center-based educators and family childcare providers working with children in licensed early childhood programs. The act will take effect upon passage.