H7054

Establishes guidelines for continued implementation and expansion of public, high-quality prekindergarten education programs.

The bill amends the Rhode Island Prekindergarten Education Act to establish guidelines for the continued implementation and expansion of public, high-quality prekindergarten education programs. The goal is to reach all children ages three and four throughout Rhode Island to increase school readiness. The bill authorizes the development of regulations to ensure high-quality prekindergarten services, require competitive wages and benefits for prekindergarten and Head Start teachers, and mandates a 30% funding set-aside for sustaining and expanding access to high-quality child care and early.