The bill amends the Rhode Island Prekindergarten Education Act to enhance early childhood education by directing the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to establish guidelines for the implementation and expansion of high-quality prekindergarten programs for all children ages three and four. It emphasizes the importance of prekindergarten education in helping children develop essential social and cognitive skills and knowledge, and aims to sustain and expand access to high-quality early care and education programs for infants and toddlers under age three.

The bill authorizes the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to promulgate and adopt rules and regulations for high-quality prekindergarten, which must meet or exceed the recommended quality standards outlined by the National Institute for Early Education Research and/or the federal Head Start Performance Standards. These quality standards will include teacher education and certification, class size and staff ratios, learning time, developmentally appropriate learning standards, curriculum prioritizing play-based learning, support for students with special needs, support for English language learners, professional development, child assessments, and coaching to improve practice.

Additionally, the bill mandates that funds to sustain and expand prekindergarten and Head Start programs ensure competitive wages and benefits for prekindergarten and Head Start teachers, comparable to those of similarly qualified kindergarten teachers. Beginning July 1, 2025, any new state general revenue funding allocated for the expansion of the Rhode Island prekindergarten program will include a thirty percent (30%) set-aside to be administered by the Department of Human Services to sustain and expand access to high-quality child care and early learning programs for infants and toddlers, including Early Head Start. The act is set to take effect upon passage.