The RIght from the Start Campaign and Children’s Friend hosted a Rhode Island gubernatorial candidate’s forum on Tuesday morning at the Children’s Friend Friendship Center on Point Street in Providence to discuss issues impacting the state’s youngest children.

The forum focused on questions such as: What will our next Governor do to ensure the well-being of our youngest children? Children have been especially hard hit by the COVID pandemic, and the systems set up to help children and families were struggling even before this. How will the next Governor turn things around?

Topics ranged from addressing the early education workforce and child care crisis, to Head Start, Pre-K, DCYF leadership, the waiting list for Early Intervention, and more.

Candidate and incumbent Governor Daniel McKee did not attend the forum due to a recent Covid diagnosis. This left the stage to Democrats including Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, Helena Foulkes, Matt Brown and Luis Daniel Muñoz, and Ashley Kalus, a Republican.

RIght from the Start is a legislative and budget campaign led by eight organizations to advance equitable state policies for babies, young children, and families in Rhode Island. Children’s Friend is the oldest child-focused agency in Rhode Island, serving approximately 32,000 children and their families.

The event began with a song by children from the Children’s Friend Friendship Center. ABC 6 news anchor Doreen Scanlon moderated the forum.

Following the Uprise RI format, each question is written out as asked by the moderator, followed by video of each respondent’s answer. 

Question 01: Head Start and Pre-K: Without additional federal and/or state investment, Rhode Island will lose 800 Pre-K seats in 2023. And state funding for Head Start that was cut in 2008 and eliminated 300 Head Start seats has never been restored. Given that the state has passed legislation calling for a plan to double the number of Pre-K slots by 2028 and develop a plan to provide universal Pre-K to all three and four year-olds, how do you suggest we fund Head Start and the Rhode Island Pre-K expansion while also maintaining top in the nation quality standards and a diverse delivery system that includes childcare, public schools, and Head Start?

Ashley Kalus:

Matt Brown:

Nellie Gorbea:

Luis Daniel Muñoz:

Helena Foulkes:

Question 2: Early Intervention: As a result of years of inadequate funding, the First Connections Home Visiting Program for Newborns is in crisis. In the fall of 2021, most early intervention [EI] providers in the state had to stop accepting new families due to very low staffing levels. Families with infants and toddlers at risk for and experiencing developmental delays were forced to go on a waitlist for EI services. In July, Rhode Island passed a 45% Medicaid rate increase for EI services, and has also allocated over $10 million of ARPA funding to address the staffing crisis for EI, but there are over 650 infants and toddlers waiting for service that are required under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. How would you work to ensure that the EI waitlist is addressed in the long run to ensure that everyone that needs services is able to access them?

Matt Brown:

Luis Daniel Muñoz:

Helena Foulkes:

Nellie Gorbea:

Ashley Kalus:

Question 3: Paid Leave: Rhode Island was a national leader by becoming the third state in the U.S. to establish a paid family leave program. The Temporary Caregivers Insurance (TCI) provides job security and wage replacement so that new parents can stay home to take care of a baby or any worker can stay home to take care of a sick family member. There are now 11 states that have paid family leave programs and Rhode Island’s program continues to have the lowest wage replacement and has the shortest number of weeks in the U.S. Would improving TCI be a priority for your administration and if so, what improvements would you fight for?

Nellie Gorbea:

Helena Foulkes:

Luis Daniel Muñoz:

Ashley Kalus:

Matt Brown:

Question 4: Childcare: While the state used federal funding to make some significant investments in Rhode Island’s Childcare Assistance Program this year, increasing the family income eligibility limit, making low-income college students eligible, and increasing the reimbursement rates for childcare providers; the state spends $47.5 million less in general revenue on childcare than we did in 2005. Childcare programs are still struggling to hire and retain childcare teachers and parents still struggle to afford quality childcare. What would you do to address these challenges for providers and parents?

Luis Daniel Muñoz:

Ashley Kalus:

Matt Brown:

Helena Foulkes:

Nellie Gorbea:

Question 5: Child Welfare: Our child welfare system has struggled for years with inadequate funding, high profile child abuse cases, even child fatalities, a lack of national accreditation, and inconsistent leadership. In fact, for the past 3 years, and for 5 of the last 7 1/2 years, the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) has been led by an acting director. What actions will you take to stabilize and strengthen our child welfare system to help insure the safety and well-being of children in Rhode Island?

Helena Foulkes:

Nellie Gorbea:

Ashley Kalus:

Matt Brown:

Luis Daniel Muñoz:

Each candidate provided closing comments:

Daniel McKee (via recorded message):

Matt Brown:

Helena Foulkes:

Nellie Gorbea:

Ashley Kalus:

Luis Daniel Muñoz: