State leaders advocating for increased funding for child care
State leaders in Rhode Island gathered to push for increased child care funding in the state budget, emphasizing the growing need for support among families. House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi highlighted child care as a critical need, advocating for measures to enhance family leave and affordable care options. The coalition Right from the Start aims to address legislative challenges affecting families, particularly single parents. With the state’s high child care costs and tight eligibility requirements for assistance programs, advocates stress the urgency of legislative actions to ensure better support for working families.
Providence, Rhode Island—State leaders, including House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Valarie Lawson, gathered at the Beautiful Beginnings Child Care Center to advocate for increased funding for child care in the state budget. The emphasis on financial support reflects a pressing need to address the challenges faced by families seeking reliable child care services.
Shekarchi strongly supported the budgetary measures, labeling child care as a critical need for Rhode Island families. Legislative efforts are aimed at enhancing paid family leave, launching a pilot program for child care educators, and ensuring affordable infant care as part of a broader initiative to support working families.
The coalition Right from the Start held a gathering at the State House to unveil a policy agenda targeting family support, focusing on areas such as accessibility to child care, health services, and family leave for the year 2025. Established five years ago, the coalition seeks to influence legislative and budget discussions to alleviate the burdens on families with young children.
According to Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, families seeking assistance through the Child Care Assistance Program face strict eligibility requirements. This program is designed for families with limited incomes; however, participants must pursue child support to qualify, which adds complexity to the already challenging process. Single mothers, like a participant named Alba, highlighted that these requirements can create emotional strain and complicate work-life balance.
To address these issues, Right from the Start advocates for removing the child support pursuit requirement for assistance eligibility and expanding incentives for child care educators. Currently, the Child Care for Child Care Educators program assists over 500 educators by subsidizing child care costs for their children. However, this pilot program is at risk of discontinuation in July if additional funding is not secured.
The financial burden of child care in Rhode Island is significant. The state ranks among the most expensive for child care, placing seventh for married couples and fifth for single parents in terms of costs. Families typically spend a median of 11% of their income on center-based child care and 10% on family-based care. Single parents face even higher expenses, dedicating 39% of their income to center-based care.
As living costs continue to rise and dual-income households become the norm, these child care expenses often create a substantial financial strain on families in Rhode Island. The economic landscape has worsened since cuts to child care funding were implemented under the previous federal administration. Many states, including Rhode Island, have criticized these cuts and taken legal action as they threaten the viability of after-school and summer programs.
Without federal funding, several local programs, including the Boys & Girls Clubs, may face closure, severely impacting low-income families who depend on these services for their children’s after-school care. This potential loss further complicates the landscape of child care support in the state.
Additionally, Dr. Peter Pogacar, president of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, emphasized the necessity for continuous Medicaid coverage for children from birth to three years. Right from the Start is also campaigning for competitive Medicaid rates to draw more pediatricians to the state and to address the existing shortage of primary care physicians.
The coalition’s broader goals encompass increasing paid family leave wages, advocating for a state child tax credit, and expanding resources for early childhood special needs and mental health services. Collectively, these efforts illustrate a comprehensive approach to enhancing child care and support systems in Rhode Island, underscoring the importance of legislative commitment to address these pressing needs for families across the state.
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