In this politically divisive time, good news in the policy arena can often be overshadowed by the latest scandal, outrage or ill-timed tweet. Nonetheless, Americans should be encouraged by progress happening across the country for children. This is particularly evident in the states, where more governors than ever before are recognizing the benefits of high-quality early education and child care.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in Rhode Island, where during her first term in office, Gov. Gina Raimondo has doubled the state’s funding for public pre-kindergarten programs, tripled enrollment for public preschool and signed into law the largest increase in Child Care Assistance Program funding in a decade. These actions have led to Rhode Island being recognized for its early childhood education programs by the National Institute for Early Education Research and to be ranked as the top state for quality pre-K by U.S. News and World Report.