Beginning in 2022, the Department of Education (Department), in consultation with stakeholders including the Delaware Early Childhood Council, shall annually produce, by November 15, an early childhood workforce study, which shall include all of the following:
(1) The number of individuals receiving state financial support.
(2) The number and percentage of early childhood professionals with credentials or degrees, both in total and disaggregated by race and ethnicity.
(3) The demographics of the early childhood workforce including age, race, ethnicity, and gender.
(4) The estimated cost to close the gap between current wages and the target wage scale, including parity with public school teaching staff and individuals with similar credentials.
(5) Gaps in data gathering and analysis and potential measures to close the gaps.