Leanne Barrett Email & Phone Number

Providence, Rhode Island Area

Develop and lead RIght from the Start legislative and budget campaign to advance state policies for babies and young children. Draft legislation and lead advocacy for RI Child Care Assistance Program, Early Educator Staffing Crisis, RI Family Home Visiting, Early Intervention, Head Start/Early Head Start, RI Pre-Kindergarten, and state Quality Rating and Improvement System for child care and early learning programs. Also, play an active role in coalitions that secured passage of Rhode Island's Paid Family Leave Program and the Rhode Island Sick and Safe Leave Act. Registered lobbyist on child, family, and education issues.Coordinator of Governor-appointed Rhode Island Early Learning Council (2010 - 2024). Coordinator of the Rhode Island Think Babies Campaign (2018-2022) - now the RIght from the Start Campaign. Serve on the Permanent Legislative Commission on Child Care.Co-wrote Rhode Island's winning application for the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge, securing $50 million for the state (2012-2016).Led process to develop and launch BrightStars, Rhode Island's Quality Rating and Improvement System for child care and early learning programs.Project Director for Rhode Island's 2008-2013 "Evidence-Based Home Visiting to Prevent Child Maltreatment" project -- which established the nationally-recognized Nurse-Family Partnership program serving low-income, multiple risk families. Staffed Rhode Island Pre-K Exploration and Design teams leading to launch of Rhode Island's Pre-K program, recognized as one of only 5 state Pre-K programs that meet nationally-recognized quality benchmarks. Write numerous data-based publications on young children, families, and early learning topics, including Maternal Depression, Child Care, Paid Family Leave, Head Start, State Pre-K, Home Visiting, Early Language and Literacy, Young Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities, and Young Children in the Child Welfare System.

Providence, Rhode Island Area

Analyzed opportunities and managed United Way strategic investments for child, family, and education focus areas.Managed all aspects of United Way’s two-day, 400-participant Statewide Summit on Children, Youth, and Families resulting in a report adopted by the United Way Board with recommendations for a new investment plan focusing on community impactLed process to develop and launch Community Schools with strong after school programs at middle schools in 5 high-poverty, urban communities in Rhode Island.Collaborated with state and philanthropic partners to launch the RI Child Care Facilities Fund as a public-private effort.Managed investments in the Family Renewal Center at John Hope Settlement House and the West End Neighborhood Renewal Fund.

Boston, Ma

Provided work/life and child care consulting and project management to a variety of Fortune 500 companies nationwide including AT&T, Bank of Boston, Corning, Ford Motor Company, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Lucent Technologies, Merck, and Xerox.Managed community investments of approximately $17 million in American Business Collaboration for Quality Dependent Care funds to improve local early care and education, after school and summer program infrastructure nationwide. Designed and managed multiple professional development, program quality and access initiatives. Crafted requests for proposals, managed competitive bid processes, and negotiated contracts with grant recipients as well as national consultants. Led development and management of the Bridge Project, a parent-teacher communication initiative implemented in more than 200 public schools in the U.S. in partnership with Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. The Bridge Project received a 1996 Golden Apple Award from the U.S. Department of Education and was featured on the Today Show and in Education Week.

East Providence, Ri

Managed data collection for federally-funded research project examining infant temperament. Recruited study participants (families with newborns), trained and supervised research assistants, and conducted hundreds of home visits.

M.A., Child, Family, & Educational Policy

B.A. With Honors, Psychology, Education, Child Development