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5/7/2026
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Senate passes Sen. DiMario bill to remove restrictions on childcare assistance recipients
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STATE HOUSE — The Senate today voted to approve legislation from Sen. Alana M. DiMario to allow more qualified Rhode Islanders to receive childcare assistance by removing the burdensome requirement that recipients participate in child support enforcement in order to receive childcare assistance.
“Fewer than 10 states still require participation in child support enforcement as a precondition to receive childcare assistance. Many parents do not want to establish paternity or enforce a child support order because they have good reasons to not engage with an absent parent, as doing so could put them or their children at risk. Even without this risk, participating in child support enforcement can mean repeated trips to the courthouse and time lost from work for potentially no gain,” said Senator DiMario (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown, New Shoreham). “Rhode Island does not require participation in child support enforcement as a condition to receive any other state subsidy, including all others that involve benefits for children. It is long past time that Rhode Island removes this requirement and stops holding back working parents from being able to access the childcare they need to stay in the workforce.”
This legislation (2026-S 2126) would remove the requirement that the parents or caretakers applying to the Department of Human Services for childcare assistance cooperate in establishing paternity and in enforcing child support orders for any children for whom they are applying for assistance. Under this legislation, they would still be able to choose to use the Office of Child Support Services’ resources to establish parentage or a child support order, or to enforce that order, but this would no longer be a condition to qualify for childcare assistance.
“We are thrilled that the Senate has again advanced Senator DiMario’s bill which would remove barriers that impede parent access to the RI Child Care Assistance Program. The burdensome child support enforcement requirement is not required or recommended by the federal government and many states have never imposed this requirement. It’s time for Rhode Island to stop this practice. Rhode Island KIDS COUNT joins many advocates in expressing our gratitude to the Senate for this important step to improving the lives of kids,” said Paige Parks, executive director of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT.
The bill now heads to the House for consideration where Rep. Grace Diaz (D-Dist. 11, Providence) has introduced companion legislation (2026-H 7320).
For more information, contact:
Tristan Grau, Publicist
State House Room B20
Providence, RI 02903
401.222.4935
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