Economic insecurity is at the root of many of the problems that women and girls face in Rhode Island. In 2018, roughly one in eight (12.4%) of Rhode Island’s working-age women lived below the poverty line, ranking Rhode Island 16th out of the 50 states.
Among developed countries, the United States ranks low on most measures of women’s economic security, health, and well-being. Being unable to access healthcare or affordable, quality childcare, buy nutritious food, or obtain adequate housing can place women and their children in serious jeopardy. Increased investments in women are proven to lead to better family outcomes, which in turn reduces poverty significantly, helps strengthen community, and promotes economic growth.
The federal and state governments can help promote women’s economic security by supporting programs that help women gain skills for family-supporting jobs as well as programs that help families close the gap between income and expenses. Ten years ago, in 2009, the Women’s Fund and the Economic Progress Institute (then the Poverty Institute) reviewed the major work-support programs that help women make ends meet for themselves and their families.
That Uneven Path report showed how state investments in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), RI Works cash assistance, and health insurance had eroded over the previous 10 years, particularly during the recession when Rhode Island lawmakers cut many programs to save state resources. As a result, thousands of Rhode Island women and children lost access to these important programs. In this updated report, we review the status of these programs and expand the focus to provide information about women in two professions in which they constitute the majority of the workforce: childcare and caregiving (certified nursing assistants, home health workers, and others).