2026 -- S 2436

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LC004683

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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: Senator Alana DiMario

     Date Introduced: February 06, 2026

     Referred To: Senate Education

     WHEREAS, The Permanent Legislative Commission on Child Care (the "Commission")

was established by a Joint Resolution in 1989, and has been meeting faithfully since that time to

develop and recommend policies and legislation that will provide for quality, affordable, and

accessible child care and early education services in Rhode Island; and

     WHEREAS, Seventy percent of Rhode Island children under age six and sixty-five

percent of Rhode Island children ages six to seventeen have all parents in the workforce; and

     WHEREAS, Since the Commission was established, research has shown that

participating in high-quality early childhood programs supports all children's learning and

development, can improve the trajectory of families' lives, and can close achievement gaps that

appear prior to kindergarten; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That the Permanent Legislative Commission on Child Care in Rhode

Island, created by resolution No. 217 passed by the General Assembly at its January session, A.D.

1989, and approved July 7, 1989, entitled "Joint Resolution Creating A Permanent Legislative

Commission On Child Care In Rhode Island," amended by resolution No. 219 passed by the

General Assembly at its January session, A.D. 1991, and approved June 20, 1991, entitled "Joint

Resolution In Amendment of The Joint Resolution Creating A Permanent Legislative

Commission On Child Care In Rhode Island," further amended by resolution No. 325 passed by

the General Assembly at its January session, A.D. 1998, and approved by the General Assembly

on June 27, 1998, entitled "Joint Resolution Amending the Joint Resolution Creating a Permanent

Legislative Commission on Child Care in Rhode Island," as further amended by resolution No.

346 passed by the General Assembly at its January session, A.D. 2007, and approved by the

General Assembly on June 13, 2007, entitled "Joint Resolution Amending the Joint Resolution

Creating a Permanent Legislative Commission on Child Care In Rhode Island," and as further

amended by resolution No. 410 passed by the General Assembly on July 6, 2007, entitled "Joint

Resolution Amending the Joint Resolution Creating a Permanent Legislative Commission on

Child Care in Rhode Island" and as further amended by resolution No. 372 passed by the General

Assembly at its January session, A.D. 2010, and approved by the General Assembly on June 25,

2010, entitled "Joint Resolution Amending the Joint Resolution Creating a Permanent Legislative

Commission on Child Care in Rhode Island" be and the same is hereby amended, as follows:

     The Commission shall be known as "The Permanent Legislative Commission on Child

Care and Early Learning".

     The purpose of the Commission shall be to review, develop, and recommend policies and

legislation to the General Assembly to ensure that Rhode Island has a network of child care and

early learning services that are high quality, affordable, accessible to all, and equitable, and to

plan for the state's current and future needs for child care, and early learning services, including

the expansion of pre-kindergarten.

     The Commission shall consist of twenty-seven (27) members: four (4) of whom shall be

members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, not more than three (3) from the same

political party, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; three (3) of whom shall be members

of the Rhode Island Senate, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed

by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be the Assistant Director of the Office of Child

Care, or designee; one of whom shall be the Director of the Head Start Collaboration Office, or

designee; one of whom shall be the Child Advocate of the State of Rhode Island, or designee; one

of whom shall be the Commissioner of the Rhode Island Department of Education, or designee;

one of whom shall be a representative from Business Owners of Childcare Association (BOCA),

to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a representative from the

State Alliance of YMCAs, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of whom shall be a

representative from the Rhode Island Childcare Directors Association (RICCDA), to be appointed

by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a representative from the RI Head Start

Association, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of whom shall be a representative from

the SEIU 1199 Family Care Providers Union, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of

whom shall be a representative from the Rhode Island Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, to be

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

Director of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive

Director at The Economic Progress Institute, or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive

Director of the Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children, or designee; one

of whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families,

or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the Local Initiatives Support

Corporation (LISC Rhode Island), or designee; one of whom shall be the President and Chief

Executive Officer of the United Way of Rhode Island, or designee; one of whom shall be the

Executive Director of the Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council, or designee; one of

whom shall be the Executive Director of Parents Leading for Educational Equity (PLEE), or

designee; and one of whom shall be an early childhood program leader in Rhode Island who has

expertise in early childhood through their own education and experience, focuses their work in

the urban core or similar community that is traditionally underserved, and whose work

predominantly serves historically marginalized populations, to be appointed jointly by the

Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate from a list provided by the Commission

Chairs.

     When making appointments, consideration shall be given to increasing diversity on the

Commission to more closely reflect the demographics of the State of Rhode Island.

     Membership in the Commission shall be reviewed and updated every three (3) years.

     The Commission shall be hosted by the House of Representatives in even-numbered

years and by the Senate in odd-numbered years.

     The Commission shall organize and execute an annual event for Child Care and Early

Education Awareness Day, and a joint House and Senate planning retreat to discuss child care

and early education initiatives every two or three years.

     The Commission may be allotted an annual budget up to five thousand dollars ($5,000)

via grant funding, subject to approval by the Speaker of the House and the President of the

Senate, to support activities and costs associated with Child Care Awareness Day and the

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

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.

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