$186 billion in SNAP cuts mean 18 million kids could lose school meals. Educators warn these cuts will drive up meal debt and leave more children hungry, distracted, and struggling to learn. Read the story: https://bit.ly/4nASUQE

Opinion | RFK Jr.'s MAHA report won’t make children healthy -- The report ignores gun violence and auto fatalities, the two leading causes of childhood mortality, and does not address food security or the value of lifesaving vaccines www.bostonglobe.com/2025/09/12/o...

ICYMI here’s @rikidscount.bsky.social annual legislative wrap-up highlighting victories for kids and areas that we hope we can work together to make progress on in the future.

We at @rikidscount.bsky.social are also deeply concerned about how these federal budget cuts will affect kids & families as well as RI's budget & economic outlook -- we'll be serving on the EOHHS advisory comm to examine the impact & develop recs for action www.bostonglobe.com/2025/07/31/m...

RI among states suing Trump administration over immigration status-based restrictions to safety net programs @peterfneronha.bsky.social @headstart.bsky.social @rifoodbank.bsky.social www.bostonglobe.com/2025/07/21/m...

$29M in federal funds being withheld from RI students, affecting MLLs, afterschool programs, & more @multilingualri.bsky.social @afterschool4all.bsky.social www.bostonglobe.com/2025/07/09/m...

“To my colleagues who invest critical philanthropic dollars to make the biggest impact for young children and their families..state advocates are now both our front lines and our firewall. And they need reinforcements.” @annieecaseyfdn.bsky.social earlysuccess.org/call-for-sta...

H.R. 1 Will Make America’s Kids Hungrier, Less Healthy, and Deeper in Poverty and Shifting SNAP Costs to States Will Strain Schools, Health Programs, and Local Budgets open.substack.com/pub/bruceles...

When students graduate from high school on time, they’re more likely to go to college, pursue job training and make healthier choices. They also earn higher incomes than their peers who don’t graduate from high school on time. Download the 2025 KIDS COUNT® Data Book to learn more. bit.ly/2025KCDB-BS

Over the next week or two, we’ll be celebrating victories for kids & families and thanking those who helped make them happen and next month, we’ll release our annual Legislative Wrap Up, so keep your eyes peeled👀 @rikidscount.bsky.social

Commentary: RI lawmakers must strengthen support for needy families by making needed improvements to RI Works Program www.bostonglobe.com/2025/06/18/m... @rihouseofreps.bsky.social @risenate.bsky.social

When Rights Erode for Some of Us, Something Corrodes in All of Us -- Great piece by Dara Lind from the @immcouncil.org www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/o...

“The federal budget reconciliation bill, which I am calling the Big, Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Bill and has now passed the House, includes the largest proposed cuts to both Medicaid and SNAP in American history.”

“These aren’t partisan issues. Across political lines, Americans agree that children should not go without health care, food, education, child care, housing..” These programs are vital to protecting our children’s and our nation’s future.

RI’s legislative session is in its final weeks. Now is the time to contact your legislators and tell them what issues you care about, whether it’s child care, mental health services for youth, or a fair tax system @rihouseofreps.bsky.social @risenate.bsky.social

“OCR is the most useless it’s ever been, and it’s the most dangerous it’s ever been. And by useless, I mean unavailable. Unable to do the work,” said Michael Pillera, who until recently was an OCR attorney in Washington, D.C. (via @propublica.org) www.propublica.org/article/educ...

If you missed the Factbook breakfast, you missed inspiring speeches, musical numbers, and chances to reconnect with colleagues, but you didn’t miss the Factbook, which is now avail online. And here are a few of my favorite moments from today’s event @whitehouse.senate.gov @youngvoices.bsky.social

Last chance to register for the biggest children’s advocacy event of the year and be the first to get the 2025 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook!

This is horrifying and a blatant attack on the privacy of transgender individuals for politics’ sake. I’m grateful to live in a state with a long history of protecting the rights of the transgender community. www.erininthemorning.com/p/anti-trans...

Commentary: After decades of inaction, RI must address primary care crisis -- TY @pamlauria.bsky.social @alanadimario.bsky.social & Sen. Sosnowski for your leadership on this issue. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/16/m...

Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is part of the Revenue for RI Coalition because we believe that an equitable tax system is needed to ensure that we have the funds needed to provide vital services to RI children and families @rikidscount.bsky.social @rihouseofreps.bsky.social

RI Life Index has been launched. If you get a call, please contribute to this survey being conducted by @bcbsri.bsky.social & @brownpublichealth.bsky.social and help RI get healthier! pbn.com/blue-cross-a...

For all those who have been anxiously waiting, the time has come. Registration for the @rikidscount.bsky.social Factbook Breakfast is open. Hope to see you there!

This is Providence and this is what DEMOCRACY looks like!

What Data Tell Us About How Schools Can Amplify Student Voice @rikidscount.bsky.social www.childtrends.org/publications...

If you're feeling at a loss about how to support children, families, and your community in this current political climate, I hope you'll consider joining us in the fight and supporting @rikidscount.bsky.social on 401gives Day

Amid soaring child care costs and staff shortages, investing in child care is crucial for RI’s future -- 3 important pieces of legislation would strengthen our state’s child care infrastructure @rightstartri.bsky.social www.bostonglobe.com/2025/03/31/m....

Tomorrow is International Transgender Day of Visibility. With recent executive and legislative attacks, it’s never been a better time to support your trans friends, family members, and colleagues and stand up with them and fight against attacks on their basic freedoms.

Today and always, we stand with our immigrant neighbors and community members. We are a proud member of the Immigrant Coalition of RI 🦋 For great resources, please see immigrantcoalitionri.org and connect via email [email protected]

We @rikidscount.bsky.social are proud to be part of this year’s #RILifeIndex Coalition. The RI Life Index, led in partnership by @BCBSRI & @Brown_SPH compiles information from confidential phone surveys across RI to help us learn how to build healthier communities. Learn more: www.rilifeindex.org

☀️ Sunshine Week highlight: The RI Senate has begun posting written testimony on the Gen. Assembly’s website! This is an important resource for advocates + community members who want to revisit what was said or better understand various perspectives on a bill: www.rilegislature.gov/senators/Sen...

This is an appalling affront to our veterans and particularly those who fought to break gender and racial barriers.

Today was the kickoff of the Raising RI campaign to improve the RI Works program. A new mom spoke about how much she appreciated the program & how much she could use an increase in her monthly benefit, only $244/month. Not a dry eye in the room. @profmmurray.bsky.social @rikidscount.bsky.social

"Removing books from [teens] doesn’t stop them from having those same experiences. It just stops them from being able to know what to do when those experiences happen to them.” www.bostonglobe.com/2025/03/12/m...

Born in the USA: The Constitution Is Clear – Babies Are Citizens --Citizenship for babies is not a “gift” to be bestowed as some form of political patronage. It is a birthright. TY @brucelesley.bsky.social for this clear explanation and for speaking up for babies open.substack.com/pub/bruceles...

New Report: How Districts in 7 States Are Helping Chronically Absent Homeless Kids by addressing funding, transportation, and other barriers www.the74million.org/article/new-...

These Words Are Disappearing in the New Trump Administration -- accessible, equity, injustice, advocacy, hate speech, and more. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

BREAKING: The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) agreed to remove the challenged certification requirement from their grant applications — artists will no longer have to attest that they will not “promote gender ideology.” This is an important first step while the outcome of our case is pending.

Our team @rikidscount.bsky.social has spent weeks poring over hundreds of pages of budget documents so you don’t have to. We hope this summary helps you with your budget advocacy on behalf of RI kids.

The Raising RI Coalition is working to increase benefits in Rhode Island and make other changes to improve the RI Works Program. If you want to get involved, learn more at raisingri.org @rikidscount.bsky.social @profmmurray.bsky.social

@rikidscount.bsky.social Executive Director @paigeparks.bsky.social describes how the loss of millions of $s in federal funding for schools would hurt RI children, teachers, schools & communities. thepublicsradio.org/education/it...

Thought of the day.

Please share 🦋 KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: What to Do if You're Stopped by Police, Immigration or the FBI www.riaclu.org/en/know-your... via @riaclu.bsky.social

It would be great if more news outlets like @bostonglobe.com @nytimes.com @providencejournal.bsky.social would include easy ways to share articles like this one by @alexagagosz.bsky.social on Blue Sky. It's still much easier to share on other platforms. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/02/11/m...

We are depending on your leadership to protect Medicaid and all the children and families who rely on it @reed.senate.gov @whitehouse.senate.gov @sethmagaziner.bsky.social @amo.house.gov We at @rikidscount.bsky.social are here to help.

Our Statement on Federal Funding Freeze + Chaos of Cancellation: "The proposed freeze on federal grants, loans, and financial assistance programs was the latest violent attempt to rip humanity and care from our most vulnerable neighbors — including our children. 🧵 #OMB

On Saturday, Feb. 1st, learn how bills move (or don't) through the RI General Assembly, featuring @davidmoralesri.bsky.social, @tiaramack.bsky.social, Leanne Barrett of @rikidscount.bsky.social, and @rhodeislandcurrent.com's Chris Shea. RSVP here: act.commoncause.org/events/demys...

Congress is proposing deep cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP so that they can fund tax cuts that would benefit the richest in the country. This is extreme—and it could mean the loss of health care and food access for many Rhode Islanders.

Carlos and I both care deeply about equity in policies, lap time, treats, and walks😉

As a new arrival on BlueSky, I wanted to share a little about the @rikidscount.bsky.social and our work on behalf of Rhode Island children and families www.providencejournal.com/story/news/g...