The "Rhode Island Child Care for All Act" aims to create a comprehensive early learning system by establishing an Office for Early Learning within the executive branch. This office will manage childcare assistance programs, quality rating systems, and licensing. A report on costs and staffing is due by April 1, 2027, and the office is to be officially established by June 30, 2028. The act emphasizes affordable, high-quality childcare as a public good and outlines responsibilities for the office, including developing a mixed-delivery system and providing annual funding to early education providers to cover the costs of high-quality early education and care.

The legislation introduces provisions for childcare assistance, defining family income for eligibility and establishing copayment structures based on income levels. Families earning at or below 50% of the Rhode Island state median income will not face copayments for subsidized childcare, while those above this threshold will have copayments capped at 7% of their total income. The act mandates the creation of a compensation task force to recommend fair pay for early educators and requires the office to conduct regular cost of care surveys to determine rates paid to providers.

Additionally, the office for early learning is tasked with establishing a public childcare option pilot program by June 30, 2030, and reviewing the early education and care assistance program annually to identify and address access barriers for families. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2027.