Rhode Island
Working families in Rhode Island need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Rhode Island. But too many working families in Rhode Island are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Rhode Island economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
In the state, 72% of children have all available parents participating in the workforce, while the average cost of care is $18,486 a year (or $1,541 per month).
More than 3,000 children ages 5 and under have child care costs subsidized through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), or 17% of those eligible. The average copay with a CCDBG subsidy is $301 a month.
2.5K children receive care, learning, nutrition, and other services at no cost through Early Head Start/Head Start (or 18% of those eligible for Early Head Start and 37% of those eligible for Head Start).
And 17.7K working families have the cost of their child care offset through the Child + Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC).
However, many working parents still struggle to access affordable, quality child care, which costs the state’s economy an estimated $516 million each year in lost earnings and productivity.
Rhode Island: In The Headlines
‘It’s just too expensive’: R.I. child-care centers raise alarm over funding for infants and toddlers
Boston Globe | June 5, 2025
Even as pre-K expands, child-care centers say it’s more and more difficult to staff infant and toddler rooms
R.I. among most expensive states for child care, WalletHub says
Providence Business News | July 15, 2025
Rhode Island is ranked among the most expensive states for the cost of child care, according to a recent analysis by WalletHub.
Opinion: In Rhode Island, child care infrastructure is in urgent need of investment
Boston Globe | oCTOBER 9, 2024
Child care is essential to Rhode Island’s babies and young children, and to our working families.
Rhode Island Resources & News
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Democratic Quotes of Support for Head Start
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Governors show support for Federal Preschool Development Grant B-5 Funding
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ANALYSIS: FFYF’s 2025 State Fact Sheets
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How a Lack of Affordable Child Care Impacts the Economy
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Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care and Early Learning
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2024 Child Care and Early Learning State Fact Sheets
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2024 CCDBG State Fact Sheets
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A Selection of State Accomplishments During the First 3 Years of PDG B-5
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New BPC Report: A Look into Child Care Workforce Licensing Requirements
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FFYF Analysis of 2024 State of the State Addresses
Analysis of 2024 State of the State addresses given by Governors across the country found that child care, early learning, and early childhood received substantial attention across state and party …
Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care & Early Learning in FY2022
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides federal grants to states to design and operate programs that help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency. TANF plays a crucial role in …
Highlights from Senate Appropriations hearing on White House FY24 request
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FFYF’S 2023 State Fact Sheets
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New 50 State Analysis Shows Impact of Federal Child Care Program
New analysis of all 50 states and the District of Columbia from First Five Years Fund (FFYF) shows that while the nation’s main federal child care program – the Child …
How CCDBG Benefits Families in Your State
The Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary federal grant program that provides child care assistance to low-income working families with children under age 13. The majority …
FFYF’s 2022 Child Care & Early Learning State Fact Sheets
Our analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that the existing patchwork of federal and state early learning and care programs only reaches a fraction of income-eligible families. Federal …
Rhode Island — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Learn About the Positive Impact of MIECHV in Your State
The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program provides federal funds to states, territories, and tribal entities for voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services. This program was reauthorized in …
2021 State Fact Sheets: Examining the Impact and Unmet Need of Federal & State ECE Funding
FFYF has released the latest iteration of its annual state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made …
Rhode Island — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
FFYF Releases State Fact Sheets, Highlighting Unique Local Landscapes
This summer, FFYF released updated state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made possible through federal and state …
Rhode Island: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Preschool Development Grant Funding Awarded to 26 States for 2020
UPDATE: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced additional three-year renewal grants are being awarded to South Carolina, Nebraska, and …
Updated Fact Sheets Show Opportunities for States
On Monday, the Center for American Progress (CAP) released their 2019 Early Learning Fact Sheets which provide an overview of early learning in each state. As in previous years, CAP’s …
See How All 50 States Use CCDBG Funding to Support Working Families Access Quality Child Care
Yesterday, our friends at Child Care Aware of America released a series of state fact sheets on the status of funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) …
Rhode Island: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
46 States and Territories to Receive Preschool Development Grants
Big news! 46 states and territories have been awarded funding through the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5), a $250 million competitive federal grant designed to improve states’ existing early …
