Rhode Island

Investments in Rhode Island’s child-care infrastructure are as critical as funding roads and bridges – The Boston Globe

Published

2 years ago

February 21, 2024

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.

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Rhode Island

RI Lottery Mega Millions, Numbers Midday winning numbers for March 10, 2026

Published

5 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 10 drawing

16-21-30-35-65, Mega Ball: 07

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Numbers numbers from March 10 drawing

Midday: 9-1-3-0

Evening: 4-2-1-9

Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Wild Money numbers from March 10 drawing

11-12-16-27-34, Extra: 05

Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 10 drawing

03-27-43-45-49, Bonus: 04

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.

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Rhode Island

Thousands drop public health insurance coverage in RI after premiums spike

Published

17 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Thousands drop public health insurance coverage in RI after premiums spike

Thousands of Rhode Islanders dropped their health insurance plans after federal subsidies expired.
Enrollment in HealthSource RI, the state’s marketplace, fell by 20% in early 2024.
The average premium for enrollees more than doubled as federal funding ended.

Thousands of Rhode Islanders dropped health insurance coverage through Rhode Island’s public insurance marketplace instead of maintaining plans with rising premiums and lower subsidies, HealthSource RI said.

Enrollment through HealthSource, Rhode Island’s “Obamacare” exchange, plunged 20% between the end of last year and the close of the annual enrollment period a month later, as federal funding for premium tax credits expired, according to a HealthSource new release.

There were 48,060 individual and family enrollments on Dec. 31 of last year, the day the premium subsidies from the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act ended.

On Feb. 1, there were 38,557 enrollments.

Before this drop, HealthSource has posted enrollment increases almost every year since Affordable Care Act exchanges launched in 2013.

How did we get here?

Last year, the Republican-controlled federal government declined to extend premium tax credits after a protracted budget battle with congressional Democrats, who are now negotiating to restore the health insurance subsidies.

The lapse in subsidies coincided with an increase in premiums, driven by a combination of factors, which sent the total cost of coverage climbing.

The average premium across HealthSource enrollees more than doubled (101%,) the exchange said, or $111 per person, per month.

Many enrollees opted for cheaper insurance plans despite their higher deductibles and out-of-pocket costs.

Others dropped coverage altogether.

“The increase in premiums, combined with the decrease in federal supports, makes this an incredibly challenging year for folks depending on HealthSource RI for health coverage,” HealthSource Director Lindsay Lang said in the release. “Having health coverage helps protect against one bad turn of luck becoming years of financial burden. We will work with every customer to find options that are best for their needs and budget, and continue to work with state leaders and our federal delegation to find long-term solutions.”

Could help be on the way?

Gov. Dan McKee included $9.5 million in his proposed state budget for the year starting July 1 to subsidize coverage for some of the lowest-income exchange enrollees.

The enrollment declines show that may be too little for some Rhode Islanders, and too late for others.

“It is disheartening but not surprising that, as President Trump’s policies have caused health insurance costs to skyrocket, more Rhode Islanders are struggling to pay for health coverage,” McKee said.

Since the exchange opened in 2013, Rhode Island’s uninsured rate has declined by two thirds, down to 2.2%, HealthSource said.

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Rhode Island

RI Lottery Powerball, Numbers Midday winning numbers for March 9, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 9, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 9 drawing

22-23-28-36-54, Powerball: 13, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Numbers numbers from March 9 drawing

Midday: 5-7-4-4

Evening: 2-1-3-2

Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Wild Money numbers from March 9 drawing

02-14-16-34-35, Extra: 10

Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 9 drawing

06-16-26-41-43, Bonus: 03

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.

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