Rhode Island Expands Access to Free, High-Quality Pre-K

Equity-focused lottery system aims to provide early education opportunities for low-income families in Providence

Apr. 10, 2026 at 8:05am

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An abstract, out-of-focus photograph in soft, pastel tones showing the blurred silhouettes of young children engaged in play and learning activities, conveying the nurturing atmosphere of an early childhood education setting.Rhode Island's state-funded pre-K program aims to provide equitable access to high-quality early education, making a meaningful difference for low-income families in Providence.Providence Today

Rhode Island is working to expand access to its state-funded pre-K program, which offers free, high-quality early childhood education to 4-year-olds across 20 participating communities, including Providence. However, demand far outpaces available seats, with only 23% of Providence 4-year-olds currently enrolled due to limited funding. Advocates say an additional $14 million is needed to meet the need and move toward universal pre-K in the state.

Why it matters

Access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education is a critical equity issue, as it provides low-income families the opportunity to prepare their children for kindergarten and beyond. Rhode Island's pre-K program aims to level the playing field, but the limited number of seats means many families are left without this valuable resource.

The details

Rhode Island's state-funded pre-K program, now in its 17th year, offers 6 hours of free early education daily to enhance social-emotional skills and prepare 4-year-olds for kindergarten. The program is managed by the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and serves residents of 20 participating communities. Each pre-K classroom has 18-20 students, and teachers must hold a bachelor's degree with a specialization in early childhood education. Enrollment is determined by a lottery system, with applicants able to choose up to 3 participating schools. In 2024, there were an estimated 740 pre-K seats in Providence, with 90% of students coming from low-income families.

  • The 2024 enrollment records showed only 23% of 4-year-olds in Providence had access to the state-funded pre-K program.
  • Applications that same year were 57% more than the number of seats available, an improvement over previous years when applications were at least double the number of seats offered.

The players

Dina Quezada

A Providence parent whose 4-year-old daughter was able to enroll in the state-funded pre-K program at Beautiful Beginnings Child Care Center after winning the lottery.

Leanne Barrett

The director of early childhood policy and strategy at Rhode Island Kids Count, an organization that compiles data on the well-being of children in the state.

Jody Bernard

The director of early learning at the Genesis Center, which runs four RI pre-K classrooms in Providence.

Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE)

The state agency that manages the RI pre-K program, determining funding allocations and the number of seats at each location.

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What they’re saying

“Ideally, they would all be accepted, but there is not enough funding.”

— Leanne Barrett, Director of early childhood policy and strategy at Rhode Island Kids Count

“It hits on every learning domain. In addition to enhancing social-emotional skills, she emphasized the importance of community and teaching the kids how to ask for help.”

— Jody Bernard, Director of early learning at the Genesis Center

“The only place she was learning English was at daycare—at home we speak Portuguese and Spanish. The 4-year-old's English has improved a lot after spending every day for two years at Beautiful Beginnings.”

— Dina Quezada

What’s next

The state of Rhode Island has proposed investing $2.1 million 'to preserve and expand access' to free, high-quality early childhood education programs, including RI pre-K and Head Start.

The takeaway

Rhode Island's equity-focused approach to expanding access to pre-K education is a critical step toward ensuring all children, regardless of family income, have the opportunity to develop the social-emotional and academic skills needed to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. However, significant additional funding is still required to move the state closer to the goal of universal pre-K.