The bill amends the Rhode Island Prekindergarten Education Act to establish guidelines, rules, and regulations for the implementation and expansion of high-quality public prekindergarten education programs for children ages three and four. It aims to increase children's school readiness and ensure that high-quality prekindergarten services are available statewide, coordinated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Human Services.

The bill recognizes the significant role of Head Start programs in providing comprehensive services and high-quality early childhood education, improving children's cognitive, language, and social-emotional skills, and enhancing family outcomes. It emphasizes the state's investment in sustaining and expanding access to Head Start, supporting competitive teacher salaries, and meeting federally-required funding matches.

The legislation mandates that the state-managed prekindergarten program, managed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, be sustained and expanded within a mixed-delivery system that includes Head Start programs, local education agencies, licensed center-based childcare providers, and licensed family childcare providers. The goal is to ensure that at least 70% of all children ages three and four are enrolled in high-quality prekindergarten options.

The bill authorizes the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to promulgate and adopt rules and regulations for the implementation of high-quality prekindergarten options. It requires that research-based quality standards for the state-managed prekindergarten program meet or exceed the recommended standards outlined by the National Institute for Early Education Research or the federal Head Start Performance Standards. These quality standards will cover various aspects, including teacher education and certification, class size and staff ratios, learning time, developmentally appropriate learning standards, and support for students with special needs and English language learners.

Additionally, the bill allocates funds to sustain and expand both the state prekindergarten program and Head Start programs, ensuring that teacher wages and benefits are competitive with those of similarly qualified kindergarten teachers. The act will take effect upon passage.