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RIght Start 2026 Legislative & Budget Priorities

Help more families access affordable, quality child care by expanding family eligibility and increasing provider rates. Diaz/Vargas
Remove the requirement to participate in child support enforcement from the Child Care Assistance Diaz/DiMario
Expand access to child care for child care educators. Diaz/DiMario
Invest in wage supplements for skilled, but low-paid early educators to address staffing crisis. Donovan/Urso
Strengthen the RI Prekindergarten Education Act to promote access to high-quality early education for children ages 3 and 4; ensure both RI Pre-K and Head Start program models are supported. McNamara/Gallo
Update the Early Childhood Categorical Fund to clarify goals and require collaboration between RIDE and RIDHS for RI Pre-K and Head Start. Donovan/Gallo

Sustain the PediPRN consultation program to help pediatric health care providers meet children’s mental health needs. Shallcross Smith/DiMario
Address the shortage of pediatric primary care by increasing Medicaid rates. Tanzi/Lauria
Fund family home visiting programs with the recommended Medicaid rate increase and state matching funds to draw down all available federal funds. Governor’s FY27 Budget; Giraldo/Valverde
Fund Early Intervention with the recommended Medicaid rate increase and continue the data dashboard. Governor’s FY27 Budget; Cotter/Valverde
Provide a bridge from Early Intervention to preschool special education to prevent any disruption in services for eligible children. Tanzi/Valverde

Create a new refundable state Child Tax Credit to help reduce child poverty and provide an economic boost to families struggling with the high cost of raising children. Governor’s FY27 Budget; Tanzi/Vargas
Strengthen paid family leave to match neighboring states. Giraldo/Lawson
Raise General Revenue by increasing taxes on high earners; invest new funds to ensure families with young children have access to affordable health care, food, and child care. Governor’s FY27 Budget; Alzate/Murray