| R 432 |
| 2026 -- S 2436 Enacted 06/19/2026 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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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| LC004683 |
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