Finds that the early years of a child's life are critical to the child's healthy brain development and that the quality of caregiving during the early years can significantly impact the child's intellectual, social, and emotional development.

Declares that the purpose of this act is: (1) To establish the department of early learning, the purpose of which is to coordinate and consolidate child care and early learning programs;

(2) To safeguard the health, safety, and well-being of children receiving child care and early learning services, which is paramount over the right of any person to provide care;

(3) To promote the development of a sufficient number and variety of adequate child care and early learning facilities, both public and private; and

(4) To license agencies and to assure the users of such agencies, their parents, the community at large and the agencies themselves that adequate minimum standards are maintained by all child care and early learning facilities.