Smiley Administration invests nearly $2 million in six childcare centers and 27 family childcare homes across Providence
Mayor Brett P. Smiley joined City Council President Pro Tempore Juan M. Pichardo, Beautiful Beginnings Executive Director Khadija Lewis Khan, LISC RI Senior Program Officer Erin Cox and SEIU ESF – Family Childcare Provider Emma Villa today at Beautiful Beginnings Child Care Center to celebrate the City of Providence’s investments in pre-K and early learning programs. Recent renovations at Beautiful Beginnings, funded through the City’s Early Learning Infrastructure Support Program, demonstrate the city’s commitment to safe, high-quality childcare. The upgrades are part of a nearly $2 million citywide investment that supports six childcare centers and family childcare homes.
“Since the start of my administration, expanding access to high-quality childcare has been a top priority,” said Mayor Brett Smiley. “Supporting family childcare homes and childcare centers goes beyond expanding access. It strengthens our community, improves early learning opportunities for children and sets our children up for success. These investments help make family childcare homes more sustainable small businesses and give parents the support they need to stay in or return to the workforce with confidence that their children are well cared for. Providence is the only city in Rhode Island providing infrastructure grants to both family and center-based providers, and these investments reflect our commitment to offering world-class education and the long-term success of our students. I hope our work in Providence serves as a model for other cities looking to support early learning and businesses.”
Through the program, Beautiful Beginnings received a $160,000 grant from Providence’s Early Learning Infrastructure Support Program to address critical facility needs, including repointing old brickwork, installing two new shade structures, repairing the entry gate and replacing the center’s awning. The investments focused on improving the facility’s quality ratings, addressing health and safety concerns and supporting additional capacity to care for more children.
“Children growing and learning in Providence deserve access to exceptional early learning and pre-K programs, and we’re making that priority clear by supporting this investment of almost $2 million,” said Council President Pro Tempore Juan M. Pichardo. “As a parent, and now grandparent, I have seen the transformative impact that devoted, qualified childcare providers have on families. The future of our city is better and brighter because of investments like this.”
In partnership with Local Initiatives Support Corporation Rhode Island (LISC RI), the Early Learning Infrastructure Support Program is funded through city resources, including $425,000 from the General Operating Budget and the remainder from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The program helps early learning providers, particularly family childcare homes, improve facilities, increase capacity and access technical assistance. These investments support family childcare providers across Providence, strengthening facilities, improving health and safety standards, and keeping childcare affordable for families. Collectively, this helps providers meet health and safety requirements while increasing their quality and BrightStars ratings.
“At LISC, we know that early childhood care and education centers like Beautiful Beginnings are at the heart of strong, resilient communities,” said LISC Rhode Island Senior Executive Director Jeanne Cola. “This investment is about more than bricks and mortar—even though that’s exactly what was funded—it’s about giving children a safe, inspiring place to learn and grow. Through the Rhode Island Child Care and Early Learning Facilities Fund, operated by LISC, we’re proud to partner with the City of Providence to help ensure children have access to high-quality spaces.”
The City has partnered with SEIU ESF on the Educators Led Communities of Care (ELCC) initiative since 2023. With a $250,000 grant, the program, which concluded in September 2025, trained and prepared family childcare educators to complete licensing requirements and meet DHS regulations in order to open new family childcare homes, operate their own businesses and provide shared services. Those services included high-quality, state-approved substitutes, a family childcare marketing platform and tax preparation and financial management technical assistance to both new and current family childcare educators.
“Childcare is one of the biggest expenses families carry, and we work hard every day to keep high-quality care affordable. These major improvements allowed us to make our center safer and more functional without raising tuition, and that’s a huge win for our families,” said Beautiful Beginnings Executive Director Khadija Lewis Khan. “This was truly a team effort —Mayor Smiley and the Providence City Council made a significant investment, and LISC guided us with their technical support. Because of that partnership, we were able to repair our brick façade, add a new shade structure that extends learning and play outside for our children, and upgrade our gate for enhanced safety. Revitalizing our center while remaining accessible and welcoming to the community is exactly what sustainability and community care look like.”
Beautiful Beginnings serves as a model for high-quality early learning in Providence and shows the impact of city investments in both center- and home-based childcare programs. The program also contributes to the broader early learning strategy, supporting universal pre-K and ensuring families and those who work and study in Providence have access to safe, upgraded early education facilities.