The SEIU Education and Support Fund (ESF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded for the purpose of developing and managing worker-centered education, training and professional development programs. We work closely with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the labor union that represents nearly 2 million workers in healthcare, the public sector and property services.

SEIU District 1199 New England (SEIU 1199NE) represents 29,000 health care and service workers in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Southeastern Massachusetts. In Rhode Island, SEIU 1199NE represents over 4,000 members that work in a variety of settings including home child care, hospitals, community health centers, nursing homes, community programs for the developmentally disabled, and other important social service programs.

As an agency committed to access and achievement, the vision for the Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS) is that all Rhode Islanders have the opportunity to thrive at home, work and in the community. As a division of the Rhode Island Department of Human Services, the Office of Child Care supports the workforce in providing families with equitable access to high-quality, safe, affordable child-care.