Special Edition: Early Care and Education Update
Senators Reed and Whitehouse Meet with
Child Care Commission
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Recently U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse met with the Rhode Island Permanent Legislative Commission on Child Care to discuss federal support for quality child care and early learning programs in Rhode Island. After providing an overview of the state early care and education system, the Commission made a series of recommenations including the following:
- Support for President Obama's proposed FY2011 budget for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)
- Support for President Obama's proposed FY2011 budget for Head Start/Early Head Start.
- Passage of the Early Learning Challenge Fund.
- Continued federal investment in 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
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Bringing T.E.A.C.H. to Rhode Island
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T.E.A.C.H. is a scholarship model that expands access to higher education and provides support for experienced early childhood and school-age educators. T.E.A.C.H. is currently implemented in 21 states and has been shown to both increase compensation and reduce turnover.
Rhode Island has identified the implementation of T.E.A.C.H. as a priority for our state's child care and early learning system.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is working with Child Care Services Association, the national home of T.E.A.C.H., to facilitate a process to identify an agency that meets the national criteria required to launch T.E.A.C.H. in Rhode Island. On March 3, 2010, Child Care Services Association trained the Rhode Island selection committee and held a bidders' conference for eligible agencies. A Rhode Island T.E.A.C.H. implementing agency will be selected in the spring.
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| Budget Snapshot Now Available |
The General Assembly is now considering Governor Carcieri's Revised FY2010 Budget (H-7105) & FY2011 Budget Request (H-7397). Both budgets contain articles and provisions that could reduce state funding for child care.
Article 5 of the Revised FY2010 Budget proposes a 5% rate reduction as of January 1, 2010, for child care services the state purchases from licensed child care providers serving low-income working families enrolled in the child care subsidy program.
The FY2011 Budget Request includes an amendment to sunset the proposed temporary child care rate reduction on September 30, 2010, and assumes savings in the Subsidized Child Care Program by using funding from the federal stimulus package and through an initiative aimed at reducing instances of program fraud and abuse.
Read more detailed information and analysis from Rhode Island KIDS COUNT in the budget snapshots on Child Care and Early Learning, Health Insurance and K-12 Education.
Also check the legislative section of our website for hearing announcements and upcoming opportunities to provide testimony. |
Save the Date!
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The 16th Annual Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook Breakfast will be held Monday, April 12th, 2010 at the Westin Providence (new location.) Registration is required. We hope to see you there!
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