Early Childhood Institute
More than ever, Rhode Island’s growing early childhood professional workforce needs access to a high-quality professional development system that gives professionals the developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and evidence-based knowledge, skills, and tools to provide the state’s children the best chance for success in school and in life.
Consistent with Governor Raimondo’s mission, supporting Rhode Island’s youngest children, birth through age 5, to be developmentally ready to enter Kindergarten and improve long-term academic success is also a mission of early childhood professionals throughout the state. It is vital that the state’s large early childcare and education workforce have access to professional development designed to build competencies that are linked to improved child outcomes.
To meet this need, funding from the Rhode Island Department of Human Services’ Preschool Development Grant will allow faculty, staff and teachers from URI’s Department of Human Development and Family Science, the URI Child Development Center (Kingston), and the Dr. Pat Feinstein Child Development Center (Providence) to offer the following professional development and mentoring opportunities.
*The project described was supported by the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Initiative (PDG B-5), Grant Number 90TP0027, from the Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Office of Child Care, the Administration for Children and Families, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.