While the General Assembly is not in session until January, Governor Dan McKee and state agencies are busy crafting the FY 2026 state budget. That’s why RIght from the Start is urging Governor McKee and his administration to include key policies and investments in his next state budget that address the most persistent challenges facing families with babies and young children. These priorities include:
- Raising Revenue to Help Families Pay for Reliable, Quality Child Care
- Sustaining and Strengthening High-Quality Public Preschool Options (both RI Pre-K and Head Start) while Responding to the Infant and Toddler Child Care Crisis
- Stabilizing and Expanding Access to Affordable, Quality Child Care
- Ensuring Young Children have Access to Pediatric Care
- Fixing Both Early Childhood and Special Education Systems
- Investing in Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Mental Health
- Funding Family Home Visiting
- Improving Paid Family Leave
- Improving the Economic Security of Families with Young Children
