PAIGE CLAUSIUS-PARKS, who had been Rhode Island KIDS COUNT’s senior policy analyst, was recently appointed as the Providence-based child advocacy nonprofit’s new executive director. Clausius-Parks succeeds longtime Executive Director Elizabeth Burke Bryant. She was also a Providence Business News 40 Under Forty honoree in 2021.
What led you to wanting to be involved with KIDS COUNT? My involvement with Rhode Island KIDS COUNT began many years ago when I was a young staff member at Youth Pride Inc. working to create safe schools for LGBTQ+ youths. I had recently discovered my passion for social justice, advocacy and grassroots organizing, and data from Rhode Island KIDS COUNT helped me to better understand the challenges of the communities I served. … Rhode Island KIDS COUNT’s commitment to equity, unrelenting persistence, professionalism, teamwork and collaboration drew me to apply to the senior policy analyst position four years ago. I am fortunate that this journey has led me to becoming the executive director, where I am honored to continue to serve Rhode Island’s children and families.
What are your goals for the organization as its new executive director? Rhode Island KIDS COUNT will continue to be the state’s leading children’s policy and advocacy organization that provides independent, credible, comprehensive information on Rhode Island children and youths. … We will continue to expand our collaborative partnerships and make data available to communities that the data is about so they can use the information with their voices to create policies that will impact them.
Rhode Island is still struggling with child poverty and racial inequity, according to recent studies by KIDS COUNT. What more needs to be done to improve that?Rhode Island has taken a number of steps to address inequities in early childhood development, education, health, safety and economic well-being, but we are yet to see a fully equitable system that provides truly equal opportunities for all. To address racial inequities, we must be honest about the root causes of these inequities and commit to bold solutions. We must identify policy levers that can create positive and equitable change with our most marginalized children, youths and families at the center. Once passed, we must then fully implement these changes with fidelity and stay the course.
What, if any, legislative initiatives is KIDS COUNT planning to support this year?This year we will support many important legislative initiatives. Among them are the RIght from the Start Campaign to advance policies for young children and families in Rhode Island, including important investments in early childhood educators, Rhode Island Pre-K and Head Start, the first connections voluntary family home visiting and paid family leave. Also, we’re supporting education policies identified by youths and parents as priority, including increasing the number of school-based mental health professionals and the number of educators of color.
