EDC to Continue Leadership of Center for Early Learning Professionals
With a three-year, $8 million contract from the Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS), EDC will continue our 11 years of leading the Center for Early Learning Professionals (Center). EDC has also received a one-year award to continue its work as the professional development (PD) and technical assistance (TA) hub for the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) state-funded PreKindergarten (PreK) program.
“We are so honored to be DHS’s and RIDE’s partner in advancing their mission to improve outcomes for young children by strengthening Rhode Island’s dedicated early childhood workforce,” said Kristy Whitcomb, Center Project Director.
“We look forward to continuing our work to both help current PreK programs deliver high-quality services and grow the supply of state-funded PreK programs” added Julie Boutwell, PreK Project Director.
Led by Whitcomb and Boutwell, our team of EDC experts help early childhood professionals develop new skills, advance their careers, and better serve children from birth to age five. Working in every community in Rhode Island, we have:
- Provided over 14,000 TA and coaching sessions and 1,500 courses and events in English and Spanish
- Enrolled over 12,000 early childhood educators, including family child-care providers in high-quality free PD offerings in English and Spanish
- Reached over 1,300 early childhood programs
A key part of our work is helping programs meet state regulations and quality rating improvement system (QRIS) standards that ensure all children experience safe, effective, high-quality early care and education.
The Center also administers the state’s PD approval process to ensure all courses and workshops offered by other Rhode Island trainers and organizations meets the state’s high-quality standards. To date, our experts have reviewed and approved 1,200 professional development applications.
On the horizon for our team:
- On January 1, 2026, the Center will be up and running at a new headquarters with updated training facilities at 2348 Post Road, Suite 111 in Warwick
- Partnering with the state to support capacity and access to Conscious Discipline, Incredible Beginnings, and Brazelton Touchpoints training and support
- We’ll expand our TA and PD focused on family engagement, family education, supporting children with special needs, and program management best practices
We invite you to learn more about our Early Childhood Development & Learning work.
