Rhode Island KIDS COUNT '26

rEPRESENTED BY paIGE pARKS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR


Award Profile

Courageous Thinking and Action
The mission of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is to advance equitable policies that improve the lives of all Rhode Island children and eliminate disparities through the power of
data, advocacy, and civic action. Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is a vocal visionary

promoting bold possibilities for children and is leading the important work of defending and protecting Rhode Island’s progress towards equity. For more than three decades, Rhode Island KIDS COUNT has built a strong foundation of credibility, relationships, and impact becoming a statewide and national leader in child advocacy.

The organizations believes equitable policies, practices, and investments are needed to eliminate persistent racial and ethnic disparities. To accomplish this, Rhode Island KIDS COUNT collects and reports disaggregated data, taps into the expertise of youth and families to identify policy solutions, and amplifies these voices to build public will for equity. They bring data, the community, and youth calls for equity directly to policymakers to advocate for and create positive equitable change.

Vision & Innovation
Since 1994, Rhode Island KIDS COUNT has worked towards the bold vision of every child in Rhode Island—regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, zip code, immigration status, neighborhood, or income—thriving in a community where they are healthy, safe,
educated, and economically secure.

Published annually since 1995, the Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook provides a
statistical portrait of the status of Rhode Island’s children and families and is the state’s most comprehensive data set on children. The Factbook has been a powerful tool for
improving the lives of Rhode Island’s children and is a model for other data books in Rhode Island and across the country.

Rhode Island KIDS COUNT has deepened its role as a catalyst for transformative policy change by leveraging its strengths, making decisions in alignment with an actionable theory of change, and shoring up internal infrastructure to improve coordination and efficiency. The organization is expanding its use of technology to increase access to community voice and storytelling and democratize data.

Inspiring Leadership
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT believes communities most impacted by public policy have the power to lead and create change and deserve to understand how decisions are made, how to use their voices to influence policy, and how to organize for meaningful change. Rhode Island KIDS COUNT provides meaningful opportunities for community engagement that foster civic participation and collective action for child well-being.

  • Data In Your Backyard (DIYB) presentations bring local data from the Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook into communities to identify and celebrate areas of strength where they are making progress, provide comparison with other areas, encourages dialogue, and builds capacity for collaborative solutions.

  • Advocacy Workshops and Trainings build advocacy skills among parents, youth, and local leaders, covering topics like the legislative process, testimony writing, and how to engage with elected officials.

  • Coalition and Campaign Engagement brings together diverse stakeholders to support equitable policies for children by coordinating the Right from the Start Campaign, the Anti-Racist Education Policy Collaborative, and co-led the Raising RI Coalition and the RI Afterschool Network Policy and Advocacy Committee.

These activities create a civic space where youth, families, and community members engage with data, share their experiences, and participate in advocacy efforts that promote the health, safety, education, and well-being of Rhode Island’s children. Through these efforts, Rhode Island KIDS COUNT empowers communities to drive positive change and advance equity for all children statewide.

Community Mindedness
Showcasing Providence’s collection of unique and exciting neighborhoods is key to offering an authentic experience to visitors and residents alike. Kristen has overseen the development of historic walking tours throughout many of these neighborhoods and continues to work with neighborhood associations and community leaders to respectfully highlight more underrepresented corners of the city.

Additionally, she currently serves on the boards of the State House Visitor Center, the State Planning Commission, the Roger Williams Park Zoo, the Rhode Island International Film Festival, and StyleWeek Northeast.

JA Mission Moment
“I had the opportunity to speak to students at Community Preparatory School about their career journey. The students asked thoughtful questions about the challenges of being an advocate and the importance of mentorship. The students were actively engaged in the discussion, listening intentively, and raising their hands to ask many fantastic questions. It was clear that the students understood the value of the opportunities before them and were eager to know and do more for themselves and their community.”