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Logistics Name of Coordinating Body: Rhode IslandChildren’sCabinet

Administrative Home: Executive Branch of StateGovernment.Chairedby theSecretaryofHealthandHuman Services and vice chaired by theCommissioner of Elementary and SecondaryEducation.

Staffing: Staffed by a policy director with supportfromdepartmentsforspecificprojects.

Funding:Nodedicatedbudgetline.

Membership: The cabinet is composed of thefollowingmembers:

• Director of the Department of Administration

• Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services

• Director of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families

• Director of the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals

• Director of the Department of Health • Commissioner of Post-Secondary Education • Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary

Education • Director of the Department of Human

Services • Director of the Department of Labor and

Training • State Child Advocate • The Governor or his or her designee.

Structure

- Children’s Cabinet meetings: The Cabinetmeets monthly. This is a public meeting bystatute.

- Staff meetings: Regular staff meetings byprojectteam.

- Stakeholder meetings: Community members

attendthemonthlypublicmeeting.Thepolicydirector and project teams meet regularly

with stakeholders and partner withcommunitygroupsforspecificprojects.

History Year&Methodof Establishment:Thecabinetwasestablished in1991and ranuntil 2007.The cabinetwasreconvenedin2015byGovernorGinaRaimondowhen she took office. She worked with the GeneralAssemblytoreviseR.I.G.L.§42-72.5(1-3).

Duties/Responsibilities/Goals: The Rhode IslandChildren’s Cabinet aims to ensure that all RhodeIslandchildrenhaveanopportunityforsafe,healthyand bright futures. It acts on this aim by providingoverarching leadership and a holistic approach togovernance in order to coordinate services toimprove outcomes for youth and children inpartnershipwiththecommunity.

Current Work Thecabinetachievesitsgoalsbyaddressingfivekeydesired domain areas: (1) physically healthy andsafe; (2) behaviorally able and emotionally hopeful;(3) academically empowered and career ready; (4)socially, civically and culturally engaged; and (5)supported by stable families and communities. Thecabinet supports and amplifies initiatives acrossgovernment and in the community, and activelymanages the governor’s goal to double the third-gradereadingproficiencyrateinRhodeIsland.

Priority Projects/Initiatives • The Third Grade Reading Challenge: Governor

Raimondo charged the Rhode Island Children’sCabinet with doubling state-wide third-gradereading proficiency – from 37 percent readingproficiencyin2015to75percentby2025.

Accomplishments • In2016,98.1%ofchildrenhadhealthinsurance,

ranking Rhode Island the 3rd highest in thenation.

• Statewide 3rd grade reading proficiency hasincreasedfrom37%in2015to40%in2017.

• Member departments have pursued innovativeapproaches to supporting broad goals. Thisincludes a new tool developed at theDepartment of Education that has helped to

Rhode Island Children’s Cabinet

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reduceelementarychronicabsenteeismfrom17percent to 8 percent at a pilot site. TheDepartment of Children Youth and Families,supportedbytheCaseyFoundation,developedafirstof its kindFosterCareFamilyRecruitmentWeekend to engagemore families in becomingfosterparents.

Contact Information Name:KaylaRosen

Title:PolicyDirector

Office/Agency:RhodeIslandChildren’sCabinet

Email:kayla.rosen@ohhs.ri.gov

WordsofWisdom:TheChildren’sCabinetisauniqueopportunity to put youth at the center and haveeverything else flow from that simple but powerfulpremise. Departments and stakeholders are eager toputyouthatthecenterof theirpractice,yet toooftenface structural barriers to implementation. Thecabinet isat itsbestwhen it iscollaboratingtoknockdown barriers and building partnerships with thecommunity.

Links Councilwebsite:http://www.kids.ri.gov/index.phpWorkPlan:StrategicPlan