Amending the Joint Resolution Creating a Permanent Legislative Commission on Child Care in Rhode Island

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 11 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. EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF JOINTRESOLUTION AMENDING THE JOINT RESOLUTION CREATING A PERMANENT LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION ON CHILD CARE IN RHODE ISLAND *** This joint resolution would amend the membership of the permanent legislative commission on child care with twenty-seven (27) members to ensure that the state has high quality and affordable childcare and early learning services network.