PROVIDENCE — A new contract agreement between unionized home child care workers and the R.I. Department of Human Services will give providers benefits, including increased pay and influence in systemwide education changes, the two organizations announced on Tuesday.
Service Employees International Union New England 1199, which represents the child care workers, and the R.I. Department of Human Services came to the settlement following almost a year of negotiations.
The new three-and-a-half year contract, which SEIU 1199 described as “groundbreaking,” includes the following provisions for home child care providers:
- A 2.5% pay increase for workers in their second and third contract years.
- More than $1 million in retroactive payments dating back to Jan. 1, 2022, to be issued immediately.
- Child care providers’ inclusion in the BrightStars education rating and improvement system, which will allow them to influence upcoming changes to the system.
- Immediate Child Care Assistance Program rate increases across the board, which will give home child care providers an equal percentage of market rate as child care centers. For some providers, this could increase pay rates as much as 30% this year.
- The establishment of a nonstate-funded retirement savings plan for providers.
- An increase of $375,000 in funding to the union-employer joint training fund, distributed over three years.
- A computing device of up to $1,000 for all providers.
The agreement will assist a group of workers who, historically, “are predominantly Latina women of color, have struggled with lower wages, low reimbursement rates, lack of retirement, as well as high out-of-pocket expenses,” the union said.
“Home child care providers offer a critical service that allows parents to remain in, or rejoin, the workforce, which contributes to the economy and provides an economic boost to working-class communities,” the statement continued. “Providers are trained professionals, leaders in their community and serve populations that have been hard hit by COVID-19 and its residual effects.”
Many providers were hit hard by the pandemic themselves, said Providence home child care provider Emma Villa, and the new contract “will be motivating for them by giving them more financial stability to renew their licenses and pay for supplies, lead inspection, extra assistance and rent,” she noted in a statement.
“It’s not just for the contract, it’s for the community who will see how important our work is,” Villa added.
Ron Racine, senior associate director for the R.I. Department of Human Services, stated that the contract “was realized through collaborative discussions focused on ensuring an opportunity for success for this important group of the state’s workforce.
“They are a tremendous resource for our children, working parents and our economy,” he continued.
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@pbn.com.
