| Education Funding Formula Focus of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT TV Shows |
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The latest online episodes of the Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Cable Television Show feature Senator Hanna Gallo and Representative Edith Ajello, who have been leaders in the effort to establish a predictable, adequate and equitable education funding formula in Rhode Island, and Karina H. Wood and Maryellen Butke, Co-Organizers of Rhode Island is Ready, a statewide, grassroots education reform campaign which advocates for the enactment of an education funding formula in Rhode Island.
The next episode of the Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Cable Television Show will feature University of Rhode Island President Dr. David Dooley. The Show will air on Sunday, May 9th at 10:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. and again on Wednesday, May 12th at 9:00 a.m. on Cox Cable Channel 13 and Verizon Channel 32 (in some areas of Rhode Island it may be Cox Channel 14 and Verizon Channel 33). |
| National Foster Care Month and Children's Mental Health Awareness Day |
May is National Foster Care Month and May 6, 2010 is National Child Mental Health Awareness Day. The 2010 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook includes indicators on children's need for safety and permanency for healthy development and the importance of comprehensive mental health services for children. Here are some highlights from the Factbook:
Children in Out-of-Home Placement On December 31, 2009 in Rhode Island, 2,331 children under age 21 in the care of the RI Department of Children, Youth and Families were in out-of-home placement. Just over half (52%) of these children were in foster care homes and most of the other children were in residential or institutional placements.
Children's Mental healthOne in five children ages six to 17 in Rhode Island has a diagnosable mental or addictive disorder; one in ten has significant functional impairment. The mental health status of children influences their behavior at home, child care or school, as well as their academic performance and their ability to participate in community life. |
| Child Care Center and Preschool Quality in Rhode Island |
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According to The Rhode Island Child Care and Preschool Quality Study, 86% of classrooms serving preschool-age children and 74% of classrooms serving infants and toddlers were providing "medium-quality" care. Ten percent of preschool classrooms and 6% of infant-toddler classrooms were providing "high-quality" programs. High-quality programs in preschool and infant-toddler classrooms can improve child development and promote early learning. The study was conducted by the FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and released by Rhode Island KIDS COUNT and the Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children. For more information, read the article by Gina Macris in The Providence Journal. |
