The bill amends the Rhode Island Prekindergarten Education Act to enhance access to high-quality early childhood education for children ages three and four, while also expanding services for infants and toddlers under age three. It emphasizes the importance of prekindergarten education in helping children develop important social and cognitive skills. The bill mandates the establishment of a mixed delivery system for prekindergarten programs, ensuring that at least 70% of children in the targeted age group are enrolled in high-quality options.

Additionally, it requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to promulgate and adopt rules and regulations that define research-based quality standards for prekindergarten services, which shall 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 criteria such as teacher education and certification, class size and staff ratios, learning time, developmentally appropriate learning standards, and support for students with special needs.

The bill also allocates funds to ensure that teacher wages and benefits for prekindergarten and Head Start teachers are competitive with those of similarly qualified kindergarten teachers. Furthermore, beginning July 1, 2025, any new state general revenue funding allocated for the expansion of the Rhode Island prekindergarten program will include a 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 will take effect upon passage.