JOINT RESOLUTION AMENDING THE JOINT RESOLUTION CREATING A PERMANENT LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION ON CHILD CARE IN RHODE ISLAND (Amends the membership of the permanent legislative commission on child care with twenty-seven (27) members to ensure that the state has high quality and affordable childcare and early learning services network.)

H7952

2026 -- H 7952
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
AMENDING THE JOINT RESOLUTION CREATING A PERMANENT LEGISLATIVE
COMMISSION ON CHILD CARE IN RHODE ISLAND

Introduced By:
Representatives Diaz, Shallcross Smith, Casimiro, Edwards, Donovan,
and Cruz

Date Introduced:
February 27, 2026

Referred To:
House Health & Human Services
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WHEREAS, The Permanent Legislative Commission on Child Care (the "Commission")
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was established by a Joint Resolution in 1989, and has been meeting faithfully since that time to
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develop and recommend policies and legislation that will provide for quality, affordable, and
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accessible child care and early education services in Rhode Island; and
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WHEREAS, Seventy percent of Rhode Island children under age six and sixty-five
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percent of Rhode Island children ages six to seventeen have all parents in the workforce; and
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WHEREAS, Since the Commission was established, research has shown that
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participating in high-quality early childhood programs supports all children's learning and
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development, can improve the trajectory of families' lives, and can close achievement gaps that
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appear prior to kindergarten; now, therefore be it
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RESOLVED, That the Permanent Legislative Commission on Child Care in Rhode
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Island, created by resolution No. 217 passed by the General Assembly at its January session, A.D.
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1989, and approved July 7, 1989, entitled "Joint Resolution Creating A Permanent Legislative
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Commission On Child Care In Rhode Island," amended by resolution No. 219 passed by the
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General Assembly at its January session, A.D. 1991, and approved June 20, 1991, entitled "Joint
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Resolution In Amendment of The Joint Resolution Creating A Permanent Legislative
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Commission On Child Care In Rhode Island," further amended by resolution No. 325 passed by
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the General Assembly at its January session, A.D. 1998, and approved by the General Assembly
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on June 27, 1998, entitled "Joint Resolution Amending the Joint Resolution Creating a Permanent

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Legislative Commission on Child Care in Rhode Island," as further amended by resolution No.
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346 passed by the General Assembly at its January session, A.D. 2007, and approved by the
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General Assembly on June 13, 2007, entitled "Joint Resolution Amending the Joint Resolution
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Creating a Permanent Legislative Commission on Child Care In Rhode Island," and as further
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amended by resolution No. 410 passed by the General Assembly on July 6, 2007, entitled "Joint
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Resolution Amending the Joint Resolution Creating a Permanent Legislative Commission on
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Child Care in Rhode Island" and as further amended by resolution No. 372 passed by the General
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Assembly at its January session, A.D. 2010, and approved by the General Assembly on June 25,
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2010, entitled "Joint Resolution Amending the Joint Resolution Creating a Permanent Legislative
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Commission on Child Care in Rhode Island" be and the same is hereby amended, as follows:
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The Commission shall be known as "The Permanent Legislative Commission on Child
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Care and Early Learning".
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The purpose of the Commission shall be to review, develop, and recommend policies and
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legislation to the General Assembly to ensure that Rhode Island has a network of child care and
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early learning services that are high quality, affordable, accessible to all, and equitable, and to
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plan for the state's current and future needs for child care, and early learning services, including
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the expansion of pre-kindergarten.
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The Commission shall consist of twenty-seven (27) members: four (4) of whom shall be
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members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, not more than three (3) from the same
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political party, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; three (3) of whom shall be members
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of the Rhode Island Senate, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed
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by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be the Assistant Director of the Office of Child
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Care, or designee; one of whom shall be the Director of the Head Start Collaboration Office, or
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designee; one of whom shall be the Child Advocate of the State of Rhode Island, or designee; one
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of whom shall be the Commissioner of the Rhode Island Department of Education, or designee;
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one of whom shall be a representative from Business Owners of Childcare Association (BOCA),
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to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a representative from the
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State Alliance of YMCAs, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of whom shall be a
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representative from the Rhode Island Childcare Directors Association (RICCDA), to be appointed
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by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a representative from the RI Head Start
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Association, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of whom shall be a representative from
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the SEIU 1199 Family Care Providers Union, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of
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whom shall be a representative from the Rhode Island Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, to be
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appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the

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Rhode Island Parent Information Network, Inc., or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive
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Director of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive
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Director at The Economic Progress Institute, or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive
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Director of the Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children, or designee; one
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of whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families,
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or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the Local Initiatives Support
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Corporation (LISC Rhode Island), or designee; one of whom shall be the President and Chief
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Executive Officer of the United Way of Rhode Island, or designee; one of whom shall be the
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Executive Director of the Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council, or designee; one of
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whom shall be the Executive Director of Parents Leading for Educational Equity (PLEE), or
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designee; and one of whom shall be an early childhood program leader in Rhode Island who has
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expertise in early childhood through their own education and experience, focuses their work in
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the urban core or similar community that is traditionally underserved, and whose work
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predominantly serves historically marginalized populations, to be appointed jointly by the
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Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate from a list provided by the Commission
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Chairs.
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When making appointments, consideration shall be given to increasing diversity on the
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Commission to more closely reflect the demographics of the State of Rhode Island.
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Membership in the Commission shall be reviewed and updated every three (3) years.
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The Commission shall be hosted by the House of Representatives in even-numbered
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years and by the Senate in odd-numbered years.
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The Commission shall organize and execute an annual event for Child Care and Early
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Education Awareness Day, and a joint House and Senate planning retreat to discuss child care
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and early education initiatives every two or three years.
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The Commission may be allotted an annual budget up to five thousand dollars ($5,000)
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via grant funding, subject to approval by the Speaker of the House and the President of the
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Senate, to support activities and costs associated with Child Care Awareness Day and the
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planning retreat.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
AMENDING THE JOINT RESOLUTION CREATING A PERMANENT LEGISLATIVE
COMMISSION ON CHILD CARE IN RHODE ISLAND
***
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This joint resolution would amend the membership of the permanent legislative
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commission on child care with twenty-seven (27) members to ensure that the state has high
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quality and affordable childcare and early learning services network.
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