Location of Meeting: virtual – BOCA Member meeting-20260427_130416-Meeting Recording.mp4
In Attendance:
Board:
Rebecca Compton
Amy Vogel
Haley DeSousa
Members:
Rebecca Madden
Missy Davis
Amina
Guests:
Rick McAuliffe
John Houle
Meeting Agenda:
Welcome and introductions
Legislative update: Rick McAuliffe, Mayforth Group
Guest speaker: John Houle, President & CEO of Main St. Media
- Tips and information on marketing your child care center (digital, web design, video, social media, and more)
Focus points for 2026 – goals & priorities
Strolling Thunder & Child Care Awareness Day at the State House – May 7th
- Advocate for strong investments in child care
- Support the workforce that families rely on every day
- Help build a stronger future for Rhode Island’s children
Sharing the RIght Start 2026 Bill Tracker – see the progress of RIght from the Start’s 2026 General Assembly legislative priorities.
Member topics of discussion
Determining Fall meeting dates
Next meeting dates:
May 18, 2026
June 22, 2026
skip July & August
Meeting Minutes:
Rick gave legislative update. Out of session last week, returning tomorrow. Expect a busy week. Some bills have been posted:
3 bills that will be heard Wednesday.
Rep. Shallcross Smith bill on fingerprints for child care employees. Sen. Thompson is companion sponsor. Rick will be there speaking on behalf of BOCA. Background check costs can add up, we want to be sure the burden is not on small business. Another bill from Rep. & Sen. From Central Falls – that employee does not have to pay for the background check.
Another bill that’s up on Wed. for before & after school programs. BrightStars takes points off rating if you’re in a classroom, RIDE certified during the day but treated separately if Before/After school. If RIDE certified, should be considered safe/adequate for child care.
Last bill – has attention of Permanent Leg. Child Care Commission, Sen. DiMario has put legislation in to deal with liability insurance for child care centers. Cost to insure business has skyrocketed. Bill creates an insurance entity to lower the cost of liability insurance.
Session will spend next weeks looking at revenue and caseload. By end of next week, should see where the budget is, make changes based on that. They expect to have something out by end of May.
Amy – DHS reg.s have changes in them. Have until middle or end of May to put in comment. Might want to look over to see if there’s any big changes or updates.
Rick – if any time between now and Wednesday, give Rick quick talking points on proposed reg. changes.
John Houle – Main St. Media discussed his career and business. Does explainer videos, public relations, websites. Went in-depth in how a company could come up with a new name and logo – the process his team went through. Why rebrand? Gives you something new to talk about. Considering the direction of the company – this felt like the way to go.
Talked about website redesigns. Built on WordPress (platform) for years. Easy to find someone to go in and update your website. The downside is that they are vulnerable to being hacked because they’re so popular. Need to have someone that goes in and updates them on a regular basis. Also often on shared hosting. The worst thing is when your website gets hacked. His team has moved to Webflow as a new platform. Wanted to use a platform that has design features but less plugins. More dynamic sites. Websites today are no longer just online brochures – people have expectations for more information. Security, design, and look. It’s most people’s first impression of your business. Are you coming up in searches? Should be part of your strategy as well. Who are you looking for? Are you reaching them?
On May agenda – DHS reg.s being promulgated. Might be a good meeting to discuss this.
In June – should be updated on what did/did not pass.
Come back in October. Nov. Dec. off due to holidays. Come back in January.
Next meeting:
May 18, 2026
https://bocari.org/upcoming-boca-meeting-dates/
Minutes submitted by Rebecca Compton