This case study was developed by the National Center for Family & Parent Leadership at the Early Childhood Investment Corporation, as part of the Alliance’s partnership with the center for the development of resources for the Alliance’s Family Voice Institute for early childhood policy advocates.
In Rhode Island, advancing equitable early childhood policy has always been about more than legislation—it’s about listening to families and building power together. The RIght from the Start Campaign, a legislative and budget campaign led by eight organizations and coordinated by Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, works to ensure that all babies and young children—regardless of zip code, race, ethnicity, or family income—get off to a strong start in life.
Building on a Foundation of Family Voice
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT has a long history of lifting up the experiences of families with young children and ensuring their voices are heard in policy spaces. Early on, this meant using grant funding to provide interpreters, stipends, and honorariums so parents could meaningfully participate in meetings, advocacy days, and public events. One of the organization’s earliest and most visible strategies was the Rhode Island Strolling Thunder event, modeled on the national Strolling Thunder effort led by Zero to Three. Funding from Zero to Three’s Think Babies was instrumental to Rhode Island’s efforts to organize parents of young children through the annual advocacy event, which brings parents and young children directly to policymakers to advocate for early childhood issues. In the Campaign’s early years, RI KIDS COUNT identified and initially supported a bilingual mother of four, whose children were enrolled in child care, to participate in Zero to Three’s Strolling Thunder. Later, they contracted with the mother to help organize Rhode Island parents and manage the state’s Strolling Thunder event after receiving the Think Babies grant. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this work evolved into capturing and sharing the stories of frontline educators and families, many of which are featured on the Campaign website.
Growing Into Deeper Partnership With Parent Leaders
As Rhode Island KIDS COUNT expanded its efforts, it also deepened relationships with parent-led groups—most notably Parents Leading for Educational Equity (PLEE). Initially, RI KIDS COUNT supported PLEE as a volunteer-led group engaged in K-12 advocacy in Providence, helping them build toward becoming a more formal organization.
A turning point came in 2021, when RI KIDS COUNT secured funding from the Partnership for America’s Children to improve access to Early Intervention (EI) and preschool special education. The grant required a true partnership with a grassroots parent organization. PLEE—newly established as a 501(c)(3)—became a sub-grantee, receiving approximately one-third of the funding. Resources were also dedicated to parent stipends, interpretation, and capacity building. Together, parents and advocates co-created bilingual infographics highlighting systemic barriers in EI and preschool special education and developed shared policy priorities. They also produced a powerful advocacy video featuring a parent and child navigating the EI system. This work unfolded during a period of deep crisis: statewide waiting lists for EI and widespread delays in preschool special education services, particularly in Providence.
This deepened partnership resulted in significant policy and budget wins including increased transparency through a statewide EI data dashboard, historic investments including a 45% EI provider rate increase in 2022 and an additional 17% increase in 2024, and new requirements for biennial Medicaid rate reviews. Additionally, PLEE went on to partner with the ACLU and the Rhode Island Center for Justice to file a class-action lawsuit against Providence Public Schools and the State of Rhode Island for failure to comply with federal IDEA requirements. The case ultimately led to a settlement, independent monitoring, and significant improvements in access to preschool special education services. In 2025, the lawsuit was closed after the District was found to be in substantial compliance.
By 2022, PLEE had become a formal member of the RIght from the Start Campaign Steering Committee, solidifying parent leadership within the coalition’s decision-making structure.
Shifting Power and Resources
Authentic partnership required real shifts. While Rhode Island KIDS COUNT had experience collaborating on grants, supporting a newer parent-led organization meant providing hands-on assistance with grant writing, budgeting, and infrastructure development. Perhaps most importantly, the coalition learned that sustained, focused funding is essential. Partnerships struggle when organizations are competing for the same dollars; they thrive when grants are intentionally designed to support shared leadership, shared resources, and long-term collaboration.
This lesson came into sharp focus in 2022, when Voices for Healthy Kids released a grant opportunity with a goal to increase funding flowing to communities facing the greatest inequities and prioritizing BIPOC-led organizations. RI KIDS COUNT supported PLEE with a successful application, with PLEE leading the work as the lead grantee and RI KIDS COUNT receiving a portion (44%) of the funding.
Policy Impact Driven by Parent Power
Sustained partnership with families has led to significant policy and systems change in Rhode Island. While RI KIDS COUNT and PLEE’s partnership began with early intervention and preschool special education, parents identified a critical gap – the lack of child care options for young children with developmental delays and disabilities. As a result, they also got involved in child care advocacy. In addition to the early intervention and preschool special education wins, families helped expand RI’s child care assistance eligibility and rates; secured investments in Head Start and Early Head Start to support staffing needs; secured new funding for RI Pre-K; helped create a child care program for early educators; and strengthened paid family leave. At the same time, parent leadership has grown, with PLEE securing long-term funding and hiring a full-time Director of Early Childhood Policy to sustain family-driven advocacy.
Looking Ahead
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT and the RIght from the Start Campaign know that when families are supported with resources, respect, and real decision-making power, they become powerful advocates for systems change. With new funding, the coalition is working to expand partnerships with additional parent leader groups, including the Rhode Island Head Start Association’s parent leaders and RIPIN (Rhode Island’s Parent Training and Information Center for families navigating special education services for their children). While funding constraints remain a challenge, the lesson is clear: parent leadership is not an add-on—it is essential to achieving equitable and lasting policy change.
Learn more about the National Center for Family and Parent Leadership, powered by the Early Childhood Investment Corporation. The authors express gratitude to Leanne Barrett at Rhode Island Kids Count for her contributions to this spotlight.