Cal. WIC § 10492.1

(a) The State Department of Social Services, in consultation with the State Department of Education, and with input from early childhood stakeholders, shall develop the Whole Child Equity Framework (the Framework) and Whole Child Community Equity Screening Tool (the Equity Tool). The Framework shall outline categories that are essential to supporting children 0 to 13 years of age, inclusive, through a whole child approach, including, but not limited to, access to childcare, physical and mental health services, education, childhood adversity and community safety, economic well-being, and built environments. “Built environments” means all of the physical parts of where families live and work such as homes, buildings, streets, open spaces, and infrastructure. The Framework shall guide the development of the Equity Tool that will consist of indicators aligned with each of the Framework’s categories. The Equity Tool will examine community-level data for the indicators and classify communities based on higher or lower values for these indicators. This approach will identify highest-need communities across the state with significant disparities across indicators that are essential to supporting the whole child. It will provide the data needed to support the equitable distribution of resources and monitor progress on addressing racial and economic inequities.

(b) With input from early childhood stakeholders, and in consultation with the State Department of Education, the State Department of Social Services shall develop the Equity Tool building on an existing index or set of indicators from existing indices such as the Child Opportunity Index, the California Healthy Places Index, the Human Development Index, the California Strong Start Index, the COVID-19 Statewide Vulnerability and Recovery Index, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Social Vulnerability Index. Data available in Brilliant Beginnings, the California Cradle-to-Career Data System, and other relevant data can be utilized as needed. The State Department of Social Services shall also consider indicators that address disparities that impact young children related to state priorities such racial inequities reflected in learning loss and learning recovery due to the COVID-19 pandemic.