SEN. ALANA M. DIMARIO sponsored legislation that provides $100,000 in Rhode Island’s fiscal 2027 state budget to provide staff in after-school programs, vacation and summer camps, and other out-of-school programs with training to support the emotional and behavioral health of children. / COURTESY R.I. GENERAL ASSEMBLY
PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s fiscal year 2027 state budget will allocate funding to enhance the training of staff in after-school programs, summer camps and other out-of-school initiatives.
Sponsored by Sen. Alana M. DiMario, D-Narragansett, the legislation provides $100,000 for training programs.
“The funding from this bill will go a long way toward maximizing the effectiveness of these programs by ensuring that everyone in these programs has the tools they need to support the emotional and mental health well-being of the children they work with,” DiMario said. “High-quality, evidenced-based training programs already exist, so we don’t need to create new programs; just provide the access through this funding.”
Rep. Mary Ann Shallcross Smith, D-Lincoln, introduced the companion bill in the House.
“Because children’s learning and development doesn’t end when the final bell rings, Rhode Island has invested in a robust collection of out-of-school programs that help our children learn and grow outside of school,” DiMario said.
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.