Rhode Island
Investments in Rhode Island’s child-care infrastructure are as critical as funding roads and bridges – The Boston Globe
Many Rhode Islanders are understandably focused on a key piece of our stateâs physical infrastructure, the Washington Bridge, since a portion has been closed for months, creating frustrating disruptions in many peopleâs daily commutes to work.
Another piece of our stateâs critical infrastructure that is essential to working families and our economy is also facing significant stresses: Our child-care infrastructure, which also requires ongoing investments to address. Just like roads and bridges, child care allows Rhode Island families to get to work. When high-quality, affordable child care is not available, it forces Rhode Island families, particularly women, to reduce the hours they work, or leave the workforce altogether to care for their young children. This has real impacts: On families, employers and businesses, and Rhode Islandâs economy.
Still recovering from the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rhode Islandâs child-care sector remains in distress. Many child-care providers are having to absorb higher costs due to inflation, while also dealing with an early educator staffing crisis. In 2022, the median wage for Rhode Islandâs child care-educators was just $13.97/hour, less than fast-food and retail workers. As a result of this low pay, many skilled and experienced child-care educators are leaving the field for higher paying jobs in other sectors.
When a child care-worker leaves the sector and cannot be replaced, it often forces providers to close classrooms or reduce enrollment in existing classrooms to meet educator-to-child staff-ratio requirements. When a classroom closes or reduces enrollment, it creates even longer waitlists for Rhode Island families who are desperately looking for quality child-care options that engage their child and help them get to work. Indeed, it is not uncommon for child-care programs to have more than 100 families on a waitlist.
At the same time that providers and child-care educators are facing these challenges, too many Rhode Island families are struggling to afford the cost of child care. According to Child Care Aware, the average cost of child care in Rhode Island is more than $13,000 per year. That equals 13 percent of family income for married Rhode Island couples, and a whopping 42 percent of family income for a single parent. According to a national benchmark, families should spend no more than 7 percent of income on child care.
Fortunately, Rhode Island leaders including Governor Dan McKee, Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, and the General Assembly have been investing in our child-care infrastructure to keep the system from collapsing. These investments have included increased rates for child-care providers, wage supplements and bonuses for child-care educators, increased funding for Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms, and expanded eligibility for the stateâs Child Care Assistance Program.
One example of an innovative investment is a new Child Care for Child Care Educators pilot program included in the FY 2024 state budget. The program provides low-cost child care for child-care workers who have young children themselves, but who previously could not afford the cost of child care, forcing them to leave the workforce. Thanks to this pilot, more than 390 child-care educators are enrolled in the program and are able to stay in the child-care jobs that they love.
Several of these investments were made with federal pandemic funds that are expiring in 2024, yet the underlying challenges facing the child-care sector remain. That is why it is critical for our leaders to sustain and expand these investments in this yearâs state budget.
Specifically, the General Assembly should:
- Reauthorize funding and expand eligibility for the Child Care for Child Care Educators pilot;
- Continue the Child Care WAGE$ program, which provides wage supplements for experienced, highly qualified early educators;
- Continue retention bonuses for child-care educators to prevent the loss of staff, and the closure of more classrooms.
- Increase eligibility for the Child Care Assistance Program, so more Rhode Island families can pay for affordable, quality child care;
- Continue to invest in Rhode Islandâs early education system, including Head Start, Early Head Start, and pre-K classrooms.
Making these investments in our stateâs care infrastructure are just as important as investments in our roads and bridges. They will provide quality learning opportunities for our young children, get our families to work, benefit Rhode Island employers, and strengthen our stateâs economy.
Put simply, child care is essential. Letâs make sure that infrastructure is solid and there to support our working families.
Lisa Hildebrand is executive director of the Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children, and Khadija Lewis Khan is director of Beautiful Beginnings Child Care in Providence.
A new era for State Troopers in southern RI
Closing the State Police barracks facilities in Wyoming and Wickford marks the end of an era in community policing
Republican candidate for lieutenant governor John Loughlin wants the office to become the Rhode Island inspector general his party has been seeking in vain for years.
Loughlin, a former state representative, said on May 11 that, if elected, he would staff the underutilized office with people who would help him expose “fraud, waste, abuse, and government corruption.”
“Rhode Islanders are sick and tired of watching their tax dollars disappear into a black hole of inefficiency, cronyism, and outright corruption while the General Assembly talks a big game but delivers nothing − year after year after year,” Loughlin said in a news release. “For more than two decades, the legislature has failed to create a true Inspector General with real investigative power. Enough is enough. If they won’t do it, the Lieutenant Governor’s Office will − starting on day one.”
Why turn the lieutenant governor into an inspector general?
The Rhode Island Constitution gives the lieutenant governor little to no authority beyond being available in case the governor is unable to finish their term. That’s prompted some to call it a “do nothing” office and others to propose abolishing it.
“Frankly, the current workload of the office leaves ample time and resources to do far more for taxpayers than ceremonial appearances and ribbon-cuttings,” Loughlin said in his news release. “Rhode Islanders deserve a Lieutenant Governor’s Office that works every day to protect their money and hold government accountable.”
The lieutenant governor’s office has a budget of $1.4 million, which Loughlin said is enough to staff and run an effective investigative team made up of “certified auditors, investigators, and compliance professionals” to review state agency spending and contracts.
He acknowledged that the lieutenant governor does not have subpoena power, but believes that investigations can be completed utilizing public records requests and gathering publicly-available data.
Loughlin, who ended his talk radio show earlier this year when he announced his campaign for governor, said he would communicate his findings through “RI Report” publications, news briefings and podcasts.
He said he would also make the office’s resources available to city and town leaders.
Republicans have been fighting for an inspector general
Rhode Island Republicans have for years promised to lower state spending by rooting out government waste, fraud and abuse. The last GOP Rhode Island governor, Donald Carcieri, launched a “Fiscal Fitness” program that aimed to save money and find efficiencies.
Democrats criticized Carcieri’s tenure for featuring exorbitant privatization and outsourcing.
Since Carcieri, the idea of creating an independent inspector general similar to those in other states has become a holy grail for Rhode Island Republicans, but the Democratic General Assembly has had little interest in it.
“If our office saves just 1% from Rhode Island’s bloated state budget, the savings would return more than ten times the entire cost of the Lieutenant Governor’s Office to taxpayers – and that’s only the beginning,” Loughlin said in the news release.
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Numbers numbers from May 10 drawing
Midday: 9-9-9-0
Evening: 5-5-0-9
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Wild Money numbers from May 10 drawing
01-13-14-16-32, Extra: 02
Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 10 drawing
01-03-20-35-46, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes less than $600 can be claimed at any Rhode Island Lottery Retailer. Prizes of $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters, 1425 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, Rhode Island 02920.
- Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners can decide on cash or annuity payment within 60 days after becoming entitled to the prize. The annuitized prize shall be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.
- Winners of the Millionaire for Life top prize of $1,000,000 a year for life and second prize of $100,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.
When are the Rhode Island Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:30 p.m. ET daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. ET daily.
- Numbers (Midday): 1:30 p.m. ET daily.
- Numbers (Evening): 7:29 p.m. ET daily.
- Wild Money: 7:29 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Rhode Island editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Watch: Khano Smith speaks with media after RIFC drew Tampa Bay
Watch as Khano Smith speaks with media after RIFC drew Tampa Bay
PAWTUCKET — JJ Williams finally had his space and rose to the opportunity.
The Rhode Island FC striker, deep in the attacking zone, came back to a cross and headed Nick Scardina’s service to the near post to salvage the night for Rhode Island. Williams’ goal landed in the 86th minute to draw Tampa Bay Rowdies, 1-1, in rain-soaked Pawtucket.
It’s the third draw in USL Championship play for Rhode Island at Centreville Bank Stadium this season. RIFC was turning in a familiar performance before snagging the tie against the league-leading Rowdies as Williams supplied his third regular-season goal of the year. The draw is the first time RIFC has earned a result after the opposition opened the scoring since its 1-1 tie vs. Birmingham Legion FC on July 5, 2025.
Rhode Island now travels to USL League One side Portland Hearts of Pine for its second game of the 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup group stage on Saturday, May 16 at 4 p.m. The club returns to Pawtucket on May 23 against Brooklyn FC.
“All night they made it tough because they were doubling,” Williams said of Tampa Bay. “And wherever I went to, they were going contact first, especially in this league with no [Video Assistant Referee] … but on that one, the ball was so good that they spun around, and then I was able to make good contact.”
Rhode Island had a string of missed chances in the first 15 minutes that fed into a goal for Tampa Bay and then a triple substitution in the second half that provided little spark. Max Schneider’s cross from right of the box found Pedro Dolabella at the far post for a clinical header in the 29th minute in front of an announced attendance of 6,790.
The game’s first score came just 10 minutes after attempts from Hugo Bacharach and Jojea Kwizera were saved and Williams sailed an open shot past the bar.
“We tried to correct some of those things that we struggled with last week,” Williams said. “Getting to the ball, making tackles, making a stick, I think that we weren’t as clean in possession as we would have been, especially as we won the ball and played forward. We had a lot of turnovers in the first half where we could have seen more chances, but we did well to weather the storm early and create some. But for me, I [have] to bury that first one.”
Rhode Island creates plenty of chances — it is tied for fourth with 112 attempts — but has just 12 goals this season. If it had finished one of the early chances against Tampa Bay, it would’ve shifted the tenor of the match and forced the visitors to play outside of its form. But the final scoring sequence is still missing with the summer months coming soon.
“Happy with the spirit, happy with the effort, happy with the fight,” RIFC coach Khano Smith said. “You’ve seen that a lot with our team. They just fought to the end, never gave up, kept pushing. Ultimately, it’s two more points dropped at home, and we need to find a way to stop doing that. We need to be ruthless – just ruthless in front of the goal.”
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