Location of Meeting: Virtual (GoToMeeting) https://transcripts.gotomeeting.com/#/s/31a389bbada67c687b65b2bc50d0fe7b3c4830328cda0ede9df76e1134ad4239
In Attendance:
Board:
Amy Vogel – Dr. Day Care
Rebecca Compton – Dr. Day Care
Haley DeSousa is on leave
Members:
Amina Mi – MI School
Charlene Barbieri – Little Learners Academy
Danielle and Marissa – North Smithfield ELC
Denise Greene – West End Community Center
Jessica Vargas – The Children’s Workshop
Missy Davis – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center
Michaela LeRoy – Haven & Coggeshall Club
Guest
Sherri Carrera – KSA Marketing
Catherine Greene – DHS
Amy Henderson – DHS
Meeting Agenda:
Welcome and introductions
Guest speaker: Department of Human Services
ECE Workforce Recruitment Campaign
Member topics of discussion
Looking for additional BOCA Board members
Time commitment is one board meeting per month
Board members plan guest speakers and help run meetings
Meetings in 2026
Maybe more meetings Jan-June and a wrap up meeting in October (due to legislative update calendar and lobbyist schedule)
Planning to switch virtual platforms as of October meeting – based on popular demand.
Moving from GoTo (for Sept. meeting) to Teams (October meeting)
Next meeting dates:
October 27, 2025
December 8, 2025 – combined Nov. & Dec.
Meeting Minutes:
Catherine Greene introduced ELC Workforce Recruitment Campaign and introduced Sherri.
Sherri Carrera, KSA Marketing. They’ve been holding stakeholder meetings to listen to workforce recruitment challenges. They have a survey too: https://app.goto.com/Survey%20Link:https://forms.gle/gxCpq9ZkYBqR25sV9
First page is an overview of the campaign and the steps.
1 – Communication and Awareness
Wrapping up phase 1 – Foundation & Discovery
Phase 2 will kick off in next week or so – messaging & materials
Phase 3 is the launch.
Page 2 is the focus group questions:
What roles are most difficult to fill or hire for?
Lead Teacher is most difficult to find (qualifications) and preventing long term staffing is inability to provide health insurance; difficult to pay Bachelor level compared to elementary schools.
Also competing with MA and what they pay (TAs asking for $22/hr)
MA has Child Care Stabilization Grant – receiving funds from the state to help cover operating expenses, and their child care assistance payments are significantly higher than what DHS/CCAP pays centers
Pathways Awareness & Use – which workforce programs are used, where are there gaps in awareness
Discussion on child care for child care workers PILOT – extremely beneficial and a huge benefit; wishes there was more wiggle room for people work in the industry, example teacher who’s husband makes more but cannot afford child care so may have to stay home and not work. Catherine – tracking who applies and does not qualify.
What types of messages or visuals resonate or fall flat?
Avoid text heavy messaging
Speak to the age group you want to attract and see what works for them.
Spanish speaking families – Spanish radio stations
No nights, no weekends, no holidays
What messaging builds trust? Where/when are people looking for jobs?
Students in colleges
Women
Typically 18-30
Explaining that it isn’t daycare, it’s early learning and there is a career path
Getting more retired teachers
Stay at home moms, kids now in school and re-entering the workforce – can offer mother’s hours and have college students do the open/close hours, re-entering the workforce after staying home can be really hard so helps to target that age group
Member topics –
Update to PILOT wage level
Any topics or information you want to discuss at a future meeting?
Missy – wants to hear more on RISES, how it’s going for everyone. More conversation about how people are using it/doing with it. Might be reviewed during DHS all provider meeting.
If someone is employed by you, center should be able to upload for them.
2026 – switch meetings – thoughts?
Thumbs up from members on meeting. Let us know your thoughts.
Switching from GoTo to Teams starting next meeting
Maybe cancel 12/8 meeting? Depending on demand or interest.
Future topic of discussion:
For lobbyist – PILOT going until 2028, how we can switch the 300%FPL lower. Catherine – if there are people who know they don’t qualify, encourage to apply anyway. Sometimes they do qualify, but also gives data on people who would use it but don’t qualify.
Meeting adjourned at 1:55pm
Next meetings:
October 27, 2025
December 8, 2025
BOCA meeting dates
Minutes submitted by Rebecca Compton
Current Membership as of 9/22/25:
| Acorn Academy, LLC |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern RI |
| Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center |
| Dr. Day Care Learning Center |
| East Bay Community Action Program Head Start |
| First Step Daycare Inc |
| Hamlet Learning Center |
| Haven Middletown/Coggeshall Club |
| Kids Klub |
| Kindermotion and Dance of New England |
| Little Learners Academy |
| MI School |
| My Learning Tree |
| North Smithfield Early Learning Center |
| Once Upon a Time Academy |
| The Children’s Workshop |
| West End Community Center |