Welcoming Kelsey Bala to Rhode Island KIDS COUNT!
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is pleased to welcome Kelsey Bala to our team as a Policy Analyst! Kelsey will be responsible for policy analysis, advocacy, research, and project management on child welfare and juvenile justice issues.

Kelsey received her Bachelor of Science from Gordon College and her Master of Public Health from Brown University with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health. Kelsey has a background in adolescent mental health and worked as a Clinical Research Assistant at Bradley Hasbro Children’s Research Center on several prevention-based research studies, including one on dating violence prevention interventions for juvenile court-involved girls. While at Brown, Kelsey wrote her master’s thesis on how Adverse Childhood Experiences can affect adult health.

Kelsey is a Providence native. She has strong ties to the community and a deep knowledge of the needs of children and youth and is passionate about eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.
2021 Woonsocket Data in Your Backyard presentation (virtual)
Please join us for a virtual presentation and community discussion!

2021 Woonsocket Data in Your Backyard
Thursday, September 23, 2021
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Data in Your Backyard series presents community-level child well-being data from the Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook in communities across the state. Local leaders, educators, service providers, and other interested community members are encouraged to join us.
Community Fact Sheets on Federal Funding for RI Schools
Rhode Island schools will receive nearly $600 million through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund to reopen safely, and address the impact of Covid-19 on students, families, & educators.

Please see the new ESSER Community Fact Sheets — including information on the amount each district will receive, and how community members can engage in the allocation process — in English and Spanish.

Fact sheets focusing on the core cities are also available in English and Spanish.
2021 Legislative Wrap-Up
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is pleased to share our 2021 Legislative Wrap-Up! This highlights legislative victories for children and summarizes selected laws and budget appropriations in the areas of economic well-being, early learning and development, education, health, and safety that were considered during the 2021 session of the Rhode Island General Assembly. We hope this is a helpful resource as you continue your work on behalf of Rhode Island's children and families.

Please see the full Legislative Wrap-Up for a detailed summary of legislation and budget items affecting children and families.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT | www.rikidscount.org