Office Activity Update - October 26, 2020
Lt. Governor Dan McKee hosted a virtual meeting with members of the Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families which represents agencies that provide critical services to families and youth across the state. The goal of the meeting was to understand how COVID-19 has impacted the agencies and how they've adapted to continue supporting Rhode Islanders in need.
Participants highlighted some of their essential services: Foster Forward provides clothing, furniture and other necessary items to foster children; Turn the Corner provides residential housing to juvenile males; Tides Family Services serves over 500 at-risk youth through 6 sites and 2 alternative high schools and Adoption RI matches children with adoptive families.
The agencies participating in the meeting emphasized the need for hazard pay increases for staff in these fields and an increase in overall funding for agencies providing these important services.
Lt. Governor McKee offered ideas on increasing public awareness around these issues and offered to host the group on his weekly Community Conversation on Facebook Live.