R.I. awards $8.5 million to child care facility expansions, improvements

PROVIDENCE – Fourteen organizations will add or improve more than 1,200 slots at their child care centers with support from an $8.5 million funding round, state officials announced Thursday afternoon.

The following organizations received grants from Rhode Island’s $15 million Early Childhood Care and Educational Capital Fund, which voters approved in the state’s March 2021 special election:

  • Newport County YMCA (Middletown) – $3 million
  • Children’s Friend & Service (Providence) – $2.4 million
  • Meeting Street (Providence) – $1 million
  • New England Fitness and Wellness LLC, doing business as Healthtrax (East Providence) – $1 million (request)
  • Boys Club & Girls Club of Newport County Inc. (Newport) – $500,000
  • East Bay Community Action Program (Newport) – $248,212
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island (Cumberland) – $185,000
  • Comprehensive Community Action Program Inc. (Cranston) – $124,630 (split among two grants, one for $88,050 and one for $36,580)
  • My Second Home Daycare (Cranston) – $40,000
  • Kathy’s Child Care (Woonsocket) – $35,700
  • Over the Rainbow Center Inc. (Johnston) – $25,500
  • Genesis Center (Providence) – $23,000
  • Westbay Community Action Inc. (Warwick) – $10,600
  • Joyful Hearts Discovery Learning Center Inc. (Pawtucket) – Funding to be determined

The state established the $15 million funding pool with support from voters in the March 2021 special election, with the measure passing by around 67%.

Most new child care slots created through the funding will be available for preschool-aged students, at close to 500 slots. Infants and toddlers will each have another 200 slots at child care centers, and school-aged children will have close to 150 slots. Additionally, other applicants will use the funding for capital improvements serving students.

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The application portal received 95 letter-of-intent proposals totaling $30 million in requested grant funding, and 51 applications totaling more than $25 million.

Among applicants, 55% made requests to address documented health and safety issues, 30% requested assistance for quality improvements or general maintenance, and 15% requested funding for reconfiguring spaces.

Gov. Daniel J. McKee, Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos, the congressional delegation and officials from the state’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Department of Human Services, and the Rhode Island Chapter of the national Local Initiatives Support Corp. announced the grant funding on Thursday afternoon at the Meeting Street Library.

In a statement announcing the funding, Rep. James Langevin, D-R.I., said that ensuring access to “high-quality, affordable and reliable child care is one of the most effective ways we can address the gender pay and wealth gaps.

“Throughout the pandemic, women left the workforce in droves because they did not have access to consistent child care,” Langevin added. “This critical investment allows children to thrive in safe, stimulating environments and parents to return to work knowing that their children are being well cared for.”

The fund, which totals $15 million, will continue to accept applicants on a rolling basis while funding remains.

Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.