Rhode Island is the smallest state in area, but not in population. It is the second most densely populated state. Among Rhode Island’s one-million plus residents are approximately 117,000 families. About one-third of the families are headed by single parents. About 14 percent of all Rhode Island families live in poverty.
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Rhode Island families have a strong need for quality childcare. There are approximately 49,000 children under the age of six who may potentially need child care services. Almost 2/3 of those children live in two-parent families where both parents work outside the home. The other 1/3 live in single-parent families, where the parent is working outside the home.
Almost all Rhode Island parents who ask for referrals to childcare services are looking for full-time care. The younger the child, the more likely the parents are to be looking for childcare. Sixty-one percent of parents who ask for referrals are looking for care for an infant or toddler. Twenty-seven percent are looking for care for a preschool-age child. Only 12 percent are looking for care for a school-age child.
While there are more family childcare homes (688) than childcare centers (429), the childcare centers have a larger capacity and take care of more children overall. Eight-seven percent of the spaces for childcare in Rhode Island are in the centers. Only 13% are in the family childcare homes.
Rhode Island has more than 78,000 working mothers. Approximately one-third of the working mothers are single, while two-thirds are married.
Rhode Island is a wonderful state for families to visit. It has more than 400 miles of coastline, and its beaches provide many delightful hours of fun, relaxation and play for both kids and adults. Other favorite destinations for families are the Providence Children’s Museum, with its exciting hands-on exhibits, the Rogers Williams Park Zoo, which is the third-oldest zoo in the country, and the Flying Horse Carousel, believed to be the oldest carousel in the country. This is just scratching the surface of the many historically significant attractions and opportunities for outdoor recreation that Rhode Island offers to families.
