RHODE ISLAND – Now, more families in Rhode Island have access to quality child care in their communities through the first-of-its-kind Early Childhood and Education Capital Fund which has generated more than $35 million in funding requests, including $30 million in expansion projects, with 69 applications. This fund is administered by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation on behalf of the Rhode Island Department of Human Services.
After a competitive process, 23 projects were awarded funding: 11 expansion projects totaling more than $12.1 million, and 12 capital improvement projects totaling more than $1.1 million. Capital improvement projects focused on improving health and safety, reconfiguring spaces, and overall quality improvements. Nearly 1,500 child care seats have been directly impacted by this funding, which facilitated the creation of 715 seats and the improvement of 739 existing seats. The awards from the ECCE Capital Fund leveraged nearly $28 million in outside funding.
An additional $1.7 million was used to support administration of the program, including technical assistance, training, and project development consulting to ensure the new or improved spaces followed best practices for children, providers, and families. Consultants included architects, designers, and playground safety inspectors who have expertise in child care facilities. RICCELFF delivered more than 2,200 hours of specialized technical assistance to child care providers, including those that were not awarded funds.
Like in many places across the country, it can be difficult for Rhode Island families to find suitable child care. After a 2019 Child Care Facilities Assessment, conducted in partnership with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), found that the demand for child care far outpaced supply, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Capital Fund program was proposed to support the neighborhoods that needed it most.
The ECCE Capital Fund program was a state general obligation bond-funded grant program providing more than thirteen million dollars ($13,000,000) in grant funding for physical improvements to existing child care spaces and for the development of new licensed early childhood care and education facilities. This program was overwhelmingly approved by voters in a March 2021 special election and administered by al improvements and expansion projects.
“DHS is committed to ensuring that Rhode Islanders have the opportunity to thrive at home, at work, and in the community,” said Kimberly Merolla-Brito, DHS Director. “High-quality child care spaces for our youngest learners will encourage long-term growth, personal enrichment, and success for them and their families. The ECCE Capital Fund has helped us make progress in addressing the concerns that many Rhode Islanders have about child care.”
Erin Cox, AIA, LISC Senior Program Officer noted, “A major component of the success of the ECCE Capital Fund was the time and energy spent by the LISC Rhode Island Child Care Facilities Fund team, working with individual applicants and awardees, developing strong relationships, and building the capacity of providers to not just apply for – and potentially take on – a building project but to build confidence in these groups to be ready for whatever opportunities come next. We know there’s more work to be done here in Rhode Island to meet the need of our families, and funding like this is incredibly impactful for the economy, small businesses, and most importantly, our children.”
“Since the inception of the ECCE Capital Fund, we have had the privilege of observing the incredible work that has been done to improve both the quality and quantity of early childhood programs in our state,” said Nicole Chiello, Associate Director – RI DHS Office of Child Care. “It has been heartening to witness the creation of high-quality early learning environments that will increase the availability of nurturing settings for Rhode Island children.”
Find out more about the ECCE Capital Fund and awardees here. For more information or to apply for technical assistance from the RICCELFF, visit RICCELFF.org.
