My daughter Arlan is three years old and, by choice, speaks primarily in Spanish. She is adventurous and curious, loves ponies and unicorns, and has all the confidence in the world from knowing karate. She is a lovely mashup of girly-girl and tomboy – fearless in every way.
Like most working parents, finding affordable, quality childcare has been one of the most stressful parts of raising her. Our lives changed for the better when we found Josefina Javier, a local home childcare provider. Now it’s time for Rhode Island to make life better for her and providers like her as well.
When she was six months old, Arlan entered daycare. But paying $500 a week quickly became financially unsustainable. Within just a few months, my entire tax return had gone toward daycare costs.
I am not alone.
The average annual cost of childcare in Rhode Island is $16,758 for infants and $14,193 for toddlers, more than the cost of college. This is on top of the rising costs we are seeing in other areas of our life. Providence, specifically, has been ranked as the most unaffordable metro area in the country, a burden that becomes even more prominent for parents seeking care for their kids. I needed to find a solution to my childcare needs, and quickly.
I love telling the story of how I found Josefina. A friend of mine was waiting with her daughter at the bus stop and overheard two mothers, who did not know each other, singing Josefina’s praises. My friend suggested I give her a call. I took a leap of faith and did.
Leaving my child with someone new was difficult at first. Josefina sensed my anxiety and sent me photos to reassure me. Now, my peace of mind is so much better knowing Arlan is in good hands. Josefina is humble, extremely capable and constantly seeking learning opportunities. I also told Josefina that it was important to me that Arlan continue speaking Spanish. Every day Arlan comes home with a bigger vocabulary.
Not only is Josefina’s program more affordable, she also provides healthy meals. Often at pickup, Arlan fusses because she doesn’t want to leave. To me, that says everything about the quality and kindness of the care she receives. The older children call Josefina “Profe.” The younger ones call her “Mom.”
As a single parent, I am eternally grateful I was able to secure a childcare provider with such integrity who can still offer a reasonable rate. Unfortunately, many parents are not so lucky. A 2025 national survey found 74 percent of parents seeking childcare had difficulty finding a spot in a center or a home-based program. Providence County is considered a childcare desert, with only 32 licensed spots for every 100 children under 5 who have working parents. When I was looking for daycare programs for my daughter, waitlists were often over a year long.
Despite their essential role, family childcare providers receive little support. Licensed childcare slots in Rhode Island have declined by 68 percent from 2004 to 2024. I recently learned that Josefina does not receive paid time off. Josefina, along with other union childcare providers, have been trying to settle a new contract since last summer with Rhode Island’s Department of Human Services (DHS). In March, DHS offered its last, best, and final offer that failed to provide adequate reimbursement increases, a healthcare stipend, or funding that would give providers paid time off.
It is deeply concerning that the state refuses to invest in children’s caregivers.
Providers like Josefina make life possible for working families. They are the reason I was able to work full-time and receive my master’s degree. For the people entrusted with the safety and early education of our children, paid vacation and affordable healthcare should be non-negotiable. That’s why the McKee Administration needs to settle a fair contract with union home childcare providers that includes an adequate increase in reimbursement rates, the ability for them to access affordable healthcare coverage and funding to enable paid time off.
[Editor’s note: More than forty home childcare providers picketed at Governor Dan McKee’s re-election campaign office in Providence on Saturday, June 27 to demand that he settle a fair contract. Independent journalist Steve Ahlquist covered the protest for his Substack.]
Home childcare providers are caring for future senators, entrepreneurs, and maybe even a future president. I worry that someday Josefina may have to close her program. If that happens, families like mine would lose more than childcare; we would lose a trusted relationship that has become part of our daily lives.
If we truly value families and children, we must invest in the people who care for them.
Nataly Garcia is an active member of the URI and Providence community serving in a leadership role at the university where she received both her bachelor’s degree in Gender and Women’s Studies and master’s degree in International Relations. Her passions are social justice and sustainability. She is currently working on a project to provide free produce to Providence residents.
Want to comment? Click!