Bill Sponsors
DiMario, Lawson, Valverde, Murray, Zurier, Lauria, Acosta, Vargas, and Quezada
Committee
Senate Judiciary
Summary
Select
This legislation amends the Rhode Island Works Program regarding eligibility for childcare assistance. Specifically, it removes the requirement that a parent or caretaker must cooperate with the state in establishing paternity or enforcing child support orders to qualify for childcare subsidies. Accessing child support services becomes voluntary rather than mandatory. Additionally, the bill updates income eligibility thresholds for families where a member is enrolled in a public institution of higher education, setting the limit at 261% of the federal poverty level beginning January 1, 2025.
Sponsor
Analysis
Pros for Progressives
- Protects survivors of domestic violence by removing the mandate to interact with the legal system or an abusive ex-partner to receive essential childcare aid.
- Expands access to higher education for low-income parents by increasing the income eligibility threshold to 261% of the federal poverty level.
- Eliminates a bureaucratic barrier that disproportionately penalizes single-parent households and prevents children from accessing quality care.
Cons for Progressives
- Does not establish universal childcare, continuing to rely on means-testing and income caps that may still exclude some struggling working families.
- The increase in the income threshold for student parents is delayed until January 2025, leaving a gap in support for current students.
- By making child support enforcement voluntary, some single-parent families might ultimately receive less total financial support if they do not pursue resources from the non-custodial parent.
Pros for Conservatives
- Reduces government administrative oversight and bureaucratic processing associated with mandatory child support enforcement for this specific program.
- Encourages workforce participation and higher education, potentially leading to long-term financial independence and reduced reliance on state aid.
- Respects family privacy and autonomy by making the involvement of the Office of Child Support Services a voluntary choice rather than a state mandate.
Cons for Conservatives
- Shifts the financial burden of raising children entirely to the taxpayer by removing the requirement to hold absent parents financially accountable.
- Expands the welfare state by increasing income eligibility limits, allowing more people to claim government subsidies.
- Undermines the rule of law and personal responsibility by allowing individuals to receive public funds while refusing to cooperate with paternity and support establishment.
Constitutional Concerns
None Likely
Impact Overview
Groups Affected
- Low-income families
- Single parents
- College students with children
- Department of Human Services
- Childcare providers
Towns Affected
All
Cost to Taxpayers
Amount unknown
Revenue Generated
None
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Regulatory
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Bill Status
Current Status
Held
Comm Passed
Floor Passed
Law
History
• 01/16/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
Bill Text
SECTION 1. Section 40-5.2-20 of the General Laws in Chapter 40-5.2 entitled "The Rhode Island Works Program" is hereby amended to read as follows:
40-5.2-20. Childcare assistance — Families or assistance units eligible.
(a) The department shall provide appropriate child care to every participant who is eligible for cash assistance and who requires child care in order to meet the work requirements in accordance with this chapter.
(b) Low-income child care. The department shall provide child care to all other working families with incomes at or below two hundred sixty-one percent (261%) of the federal poverty level if, and to the extent, these other families require child care in order to work at paid employment as defined in the department’s rules and regulations. The department shall also provide child care to families with incomes below two hundred sixty-one percent (261%) of the federal poverty level if, and to the extent, these families require child care to participate on a short-term basis, as defined in the department’s rules and regulations, in training, apprenticeship, internship, on-the-job training, work experience, work immersion, or other job-readiness/job-attachment program sponsored or funded by the human resource investment council (governor’s workforce board) or state agencies that are part of the coordinated program system pursuant to § 42-102-11. Effective from January 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, the department shall also provide childcare assistance to families with incomes below one hundred eighty percent (180%) of the federal poverty level when such assistance is necessary for a member of these families to enroll or maintain enrollment in a Rhode Island public institution of higher education provided that eligibility to receive funding is capped when expenditures reach $200,000 for this provision. Effective July 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024, the department shall also provide childcare assistance to families with incomes below two hundred percent (200%) of the federal poverty level when such assistance is necessary for a member of these families to enroll or maintain enrollment in a Rhode Island public institution of higher education. Effective January 1, 2025, the department shall also provide childcare assistance to families with incomes below two hundred sixty-one percent (261%) of the federal poverty level when such assistance is necessary for a member of these families to enroll or maintain enrollment in a Rhode Island public institution of higher education.
(c) No family/assistance unit shall be eligible for childcare assistance under this chapter if the combined value of its liquid resources exceeds one million dollars ($1,000,000), which corresponds to the amount permitted by the federal government under the state plan and set forth in the administrative rulemaking process by the department. Liquid resources are defined as any interest(s) in property in the form of cash or other financial instruments or accounts that are readily convertible to cash or cash equivalents. These include, but are not limited to: cash, bank, credit union, or other financial institution savings, checking, and money market accounts; certificates of deposit or other time deposits; stocks; bonds; mutual funds; and other similar financial instruments or accounts. These do not include educational savings accounts, plans, or programs; retirement accounts, plans, or programs; or accounts held jointly with another adult, not including a spouse. The department is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to determine the ownership and source of the funds in the joint account.
(d)As a condition of eligibility for childcare assistance under this chapter, the parent or caretaker relative of the family must consent to, and must cooperate with, the department in establishing paternity, and in establishing and/or enforcing child support and medical support orders for any children in the family receiving appropriate child care under this section in accordance with the applicable sections of title 15, as amended, unless the parent or caretaker relative is found to have good cause for refusing to comply with the requirements of this subsection.
The parent or caretaker relative of any family applying for child care assistance may voluntarily access the state's office of child support services for assistance establishing parentage, establishing a child support and/or medical order, and enforcement of that order, but this shall not be a requirement to qualify for or access child care assistance.
(e) For purposes of this section, “appropriate child care” means child care, including infant, toddler, preschool, nursery school, and school-age, that is provided by a person or organization qualified, approved, and authorized to provide the care by the state agency or agencies designated LC003643 - Page 2 of 5 to make the determinations in accordance with the provisions set forth herein.
(f)(1) Families with incomes below one hundred percent (100%) of the applicable federal poverty level guidelines shall be provided with free child care. Families with incomes greater than one hundred percent (100%) and less than two hundred percent (200%) of the applicable federal poverty guideline shall be required to pay for some portion of the child care they receive, according to a sliding-fee scale adopted by the department in the department’s rules, not to exceed seven percent (7%) of income as defined in subsection (h) of this section.
(2) Families who are receiving childcare assistance and who become ineligible for childcare assistance as a result of their incomes exceeding two hundred sixty-one percent (261%) of the applicable federal poverty guidelines shall continue to be eligible for childcare assistance until their incomes exceed three hundred percent (300%) of the applicable federal poverty guidelines. To be eligible, the families must continue to pay for some portion of the child care they receive, as indicated in a sliding-fee scale adopted in the department’s rules, not to exceed seven percent (7%) of income as defined in subsection (h) of this section, and in accordance with all other eligibility standards.
(g) In determining the type of child care to be provided to a family, the department shall take into account the cost of available childcare options; the suitability of the type of care available for the child; and the parent’s preference as to the type of child care.
(h) For purposes of this section, “income” for families receiving cash assistance under § 40-5.2-11 means gross, earned income and unearned income, subject to the income exclusions in §§ 40-5.2-10(g)(2) and 40-5.2-10(g)(3), and income for other families shall mean gross, earned and unearned income as determined by departmental regulations.
(i) The caseload estimating conference established by chapter 17 of title 35 shall forecast the expenditures for child care in accordance with the provisions of § 35-17-1.
(j) In determining eligibility for childcare assistance for children of members of reserve components called to active duty during a time of conflict, the department shall freeze the family composition and the family income of the reserve component member as it was in the month prior to the month of leaving for active duty. This shall continue until the individual is officially discharged from active duty.
(k) Effective from August 1, 2023, through July 31, 2028, the department shall provide funding for child care for eligible childcare educators, and childcare staff, who work at least twenty (20) hours a week in licensed childcare centers and licensed family childcare homes as defined in the department’s rules and regulations. Eligibility is limited to qualifying childcare educators and childcare staff with family incomes up to three hundred percent (300%) of the applicable federal LC003643 - Page 3 of 5 poverty guidelines and will have no copayments. Qualifying participants may select the childcare center or family childcare home for their children. The department shall promulgate regulations necessary to implement this section, and will collect applicant and participant data to report estimated demand for state-funded child care for eligible childcare educators and childcare staff. The report shall be due annually to the governor and the general assembly by November 1.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
40-5.2-20. Childcare assistance — Families or assistance units eligible.
(a) The department shall provide appropriate child care to every participant who is eligible for cash assistance and who requires child care in order to meet the work requirements in accordance with this chapter.
(b) Low-income child care. The department shall provide child care to all other working families with incomes at or below two hundred sixty-one percent (261%) of the federal poverty level if, and to the extent, these other families require child care in order to work at paid employment as defined in the department’s rules and regulations. The department shall also provide child care to families with incomes below two hundred sixty-one percent (261%) of the federal poverty level if, and to the extent, these families require child care to participate on a short-term basis, as defined in the department’s rules and regulations, in training, apprenticeship, internship, on-the-job training, work experience, work immersion, or other job-readiness/job-attachment program sponsored or funded by the human resource investment council (governor’s workforce board) or state agencies that are part of the coordinated program system pursuant to § 42-102-11. Effective from January 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, the department shall also provide childcare assistance to families with incomes below one hundred eighty percent (180%) of the federal poverty level when such assistance is necessary for a member of these families to enroll or maintain enrollment in a Rhode Island public institution of higher education provided that eligibility to receive funding is capped when expenditures reach $200,000 for this provision. Effective July 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024, the department shall also provide childcare assistance to families with incomes below two hundred percent (200%) of the federal poverty level when such assistance is necessary for a member of these families to enroll or maintain enrollment in a Rhode Island public institution of higher education. Effective January 1, 2025, the department shall also provide childcare assistance to families with incomes below two hundred sixty-one percent (261%) of the federal poverty level when such assistance is necessary for a member of these families to enroll or maintain enrollment in a Rhode Island public institution of higher education.
(c) No family/assistance unit shall be eligible for childcare assistance under this chapter if the combined value of its liquid resources exceeds one million dollars ($1,000,000), which corresponds to the amount permitted by the federal government under the state plan and set forth in the administrative rulemaking process by the department. Liquid resources are defined as any interest(s) in property in the form of cash or other financial instruments or accounts that are readily convertible to cash or cash equivalents. These include, but are not limited to: cash, bank, credit union, or other financial institution savings, checking, and money market accounts; certificates of deposit or other time deposits; stocks; bonds; mutual funds; and other similar financial instruments or accounts. These do not include educational savings accounts, plans, or programs; retirement accounts, plans, or programs; or accounts held jointly with another adult, not including a spouse. The department is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to determine the ownership and source of the funds in the joint account.
(d)
The parent or caretaker relative of any family applying for child care assistance may voluntarily access the state's office of child support services for assistance establishing parentage, establishing a child support and/or medical order, and enforcement of that order, but this shall not be a requirement to qualify for or access child care assistance.
(e) For purposes of this section, “appropriate child care” means child care, including infant, toddler, preschool, nursery school, and school-age, that is provided by a person or organization qualified, approved, and authorized to provide the care by the state agency or agencies designated LC003643 - Page 2 of 5 to make the determinations in accordance with the provisions set forth herein.
(f)(1) Families with incomes below one hundred percent (100%) of the applicable federal poverty level guidelines shall be provided with free child care. Families with incomes greater than one hundred percent (100%) and less than two hundred percent (200%) of the applicable federal poverty guideline shall be required to pay for some portion of the child care they receive, according to a sliding-fee scale adopted by the department in the department’s rules, not to exceed seven percent (7%) of income as defined in subsection (h) of this section.
(2) Families who are receiving childcare assistance and who become ineligible for childcare assistance as a result of their incomes exceeding two hundred sixty-one percent (261%) of the applicable federal poverty guidelines shall continue to be eligible for childcare assistance until their incomes exceed three hundred percent (300%) of the applicable federal poverty guidelines. To be eligible, the families must continue to pay for some portion of the child care they receive, as indicated in a sliding-fee scale adopted in the department’s rules, not to exceed seven percent (7%) of income as defined in subsection (h) of this section, and in accordance with all other eligibility standards.
(g) In determining the type of child care to be provided to a family, the department shall take into account the cost of available childcare options; the suitability of the type of care available for the child; and the parent’s preference as to the type of child care.
(h) For purposes of this section, “income” for families receiving cash assistance under § 40-5.2-11 means gross, earned income and unearned income, subject to the income exclusions in §§ 40-5.2-10(g)(2) and 40-5.2-10(g)(3), and income for other families shall mean gross, earned and unearned income as determined by departmental regulations.
(i) The caseload estimating conference established by chapter 17 of title 35 shall forecast the expenditures for child care in accordance with the provisions of § 35-17-1.
(j) In determining eligibility for childcare assistance for children of members of reserve components called to active duty during a time of conflict, the department shall freeze the family composition and the family income of the reserve component member as it was in the month prior to the month of leaving for active duty. This shall continue until the individual is officially discharged from active duty.
(k) Effective from August 1, 2023, through July 31, 2028, the department shall provide funding for child care for eligible childcare educators, and childcare staff, who work at least twenty (20) hours a week in licensed childcare centers and licensed family childcare homes as defined in the department’s rules and regulations. Eligibility is limited to qualifying childcare educators and childcare staff with family incomes up to three hundred percent (300%) of the applicable federal LC003643 - Page 3 of 5 poverty guidelines and will have no copayments. Qualifying participants may select the childcare center or family childcare home for their children. The department shall promulgate regulations necessary to implement this section, and will collect applicant and participant data to report estimated demand for state-funded child care for eligible childcare educators and childcare staff. The report shall be due annually to the governor and the general assembly by November 1.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.