AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE RHODE ISLAND PREKINDERGARTEN EDUCATION ACT (Establishes guidelines for continued implementation and expansion of public, high-quality prekindergarten education programs.)

H7054

2026 -- H 7054
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE RHODE ISLAND PREKINDERGARTEN
EDUCATION ACT

Introduced By:
Representatives McNamara, Cotter, Solomon, Potter, Voas, Ackerman,
Cruz, Giraldo, J. Lombardi, and Hull

Date Introduced:
January 09, 2026

Referred To:
House Finance
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Sections 16-87-2 and 16-87-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-87 entitled
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"Rhode Island Prekindergarten Education Act" are hereby amended to read as follows:
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16-87-2. Findings.
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(a) The general assembly hereby finds that attending high quality early childhood education
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programs
help

helps
children develop important social and cognitive skills and knowledge that
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prepares children to succeed in school. Research has shown long-lasting benefits for children who
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participate in very high quality, educationally focused early childhood programs. The benefits to
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children can also generate substantial government cost savings, including reduced need for special
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education services, reduced need for cash assistance and other public benefits, and reduced rates of
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incarceration.
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(b) The general assembly finds that there are substantial numbers of children in Rhode
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Island entering kindergarten who are not adequately prepared to succeed in school. Early school
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failure may ultimately contribute to such children dropping out of school at an early age, failing to
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achieve their full potential, becoming dependent upon public assistance, or becoming involved in
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criminal activities.
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(c) Furthermore, the general assembly finds that there is an existing infrastructure of early
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childhood programs in Rhode Island serving preschool age children in full-day and half-day
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programs that is supported through state and federal investments in child care, Head Start and

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special education. It is the goal of the general assembly to support a system of publicly-funded,
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high quality prekindergarten education programs that are operated through a diverse delivery
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network, including child care, Head Start and public school districts.
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(d) By enacting this law, the general assembly acknowledges the need to adequately
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prepare all children to succeed in school by providing access to publicly-funded high quality
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prekindergarten education programs
for all children ages three (3) and four (4) and to sustain and
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expand access to high-quality early care and education programs for infants and toddlers under age
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three (3) years
.
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16-87-4. Early childhood workforce development.
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(a) The Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education shall work with
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the department of human services to sustain and expand the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Program,

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other state departments and private philanthropy to establish
a statewide, comprehensive, research-
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based early childhood workforce development scholarship program to expand the number of early
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childhood educators who have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and
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who work with children from birth to age five (5).
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(b)(1) In furtherance of the goals set forth in this chapter, no later than January 1, 2023, the
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governor’s workforce board shall convene a working group comprised of representatives from the
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department of elementary and secondary education, department of human services, office of the
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postsecondary commissioner, the RI early learning council, organized labor, and early childhood
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education industry employers, whose purpose shall be to identify barriers to entry into the early
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childhood education workforce, and to design accessible and accelerated pathways into the
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workforce, including, but not limited to, registered apprenticeships and postsecondary credit for
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prior work experience.
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(2) No later than April 1, 2023, the working group shall provide the general assembly with
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recommendations for addressing the barriers to workforce entry and implementing the solutions
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identified by the working group; the recommendations shall outline any administrative and
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legislative action that would be required by participating agencies to implement the
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recommendations.
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SECTION 2. Chapter 16-87 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Prekindergarten
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Education Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
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16-87-8. Prekindergarten implementation and expansion.

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(a) The state managed prekindergarten program model shall be sustained and, as funds are
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available, expanded in a mixed delivery-system that includes Head Start programs, local education
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agencies, licensed center-based child care providers, and licensed family child care providers or

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family child care networks so that no less than seventy percent (70%) of all children ages three (3)
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and four (4) are enrolled in high-quality prekindergarten options.
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(b) The department of elementary and secondary education (the "department") is hereby
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authorized to promulgate and adopt rules and regulations for the implementation of high-quality
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prekindergarten. Research-based quality standards shall be defined in regulation by the department
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and shall meet or exceed the recommended quality standards for state preschool programs outlined
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by the National Institute for Early Education Research and/or the federal Head Start Performance
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Standards. Quality standards shall include, but not be limited to:
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(1) Teacher education and certification;
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(2) Class size and staff ratios;
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(3) Learning time;
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(4) Developmentally appropriate, evidence-based learning standards;
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(5) Curriculum prioritizing developmentally appropriate, play-based learning;
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(6) Access, inclusion and support for students with special needs, including a system to
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ensure delivery of high-quality, inclusive early education services required by the federal
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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §1400 et seq. (2004), to children with
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developmental delays and disabilities who are enrolled in community-based programs which may
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or may not be located in the same municipality where the child lives;
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(7) Support for English language learners;
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(8) Professional development;
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(9) Child assessments; and
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(10) Observations and coaching to improve practice.
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(c) To whatever extent deemed appropriate and efficient by the department, quality
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standards may be differentiated by prekindergarten education setting and include federal support
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and oversight for the Head Start Performance Standards, such that every provider-type in a mixed-
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delivery model is able and expected to meet research-based quality standards.
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(d) Funds to sustain and expand prekindergarten and Head Start shall be allocated to ensure
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teacher wages and benefits are competitive with similarly qualified kindergarten teacher wages and
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benefits.
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(e) Beginning July 1, 2026, any new state general revenue funding allocated for expansion
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of the Rhode Island prekindergarten program shall include a thirty percent (30%) set-aside of
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funding to be administered by the department of human services to sustain and expand access to
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high-quality child care and early learning programs for infants and toddlers, including Early Head
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Start.

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SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE RHODE ISLAND PREKINDERGARTEN
EDUCATION ACT
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This act would direct the department of elementary and secondary education to establish
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guidelines for the continued implementation and expansion of public, high quality prekindergarten
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education programs with the goal of reaching all children ages three (3) and four (4) throughout
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Rhode Island to increase children’s school readiness. This act would further authorize the
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development of regulations to ensure high-quality prekindergarten services, require competitive
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wages and benefits for prekindergarten and Head Start teachers, and would require a 30% funding
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set-aside of prekindergarten expansion funds to sustain and expand access to high-quality child
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care and early learning programs for infants and toddlers.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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