Family Economic Security

Improve Paid Family Leave 

• Expand from 6 weeks to 12 weeks of paid family leave to meet national standards and match CT and MA programs. (Giraldo/Lawson)
• Increase the wage replacement level so all parents, and especially lower wage-earning parents, can have adequate income to stay home and care for newborns, adoptive, and foster children.
  
  

Improve the RI Works Cash Assistance Program (Handy/Murray)

• Adopt RI Works policies recommended by the Raising Rhode Island Coalition:
• Update the cash assistance benefit to ensure children do not live in deep poverty (below 50% FPL)
• Adopt an annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA).
• Repeal the full family sanction.
• Restore eligibility to legal permanent residents.
  
  

Increase the State Earned Income Tax Credit (Felag and O’Brien)

• Increase Rhode Island’s refundable EITC to 30% of the federal credit, comparable to policy in place in CT and MA.