Curious about how Rhode Island’s children are doing in 2025? The latest Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook offers a deep dive into the health, education, economic well-being, and mental health of children across the state—spotlighting urgent issues like maternal and infant health, family structure, and behavioral health trends.

This data-driven report is not only a vital tool for policymakers and advocates—it’s a call to action for all of us working toward a more equitable system of care for children and families.

 Read the blog for key highlights and insights.

Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) is a critical Medicaid benefit designed to ensure that children and adolescents from low-income families receive the comprehensive and preventive healthcare they need to grow and thrive.

2025 marks five years since the COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented demand for children’s behavioral health and catalyzed huge changes in care delivery.  Halfway through the decade, the world of telehealth, licensure compacts and mental health apps is dramatically different. 

2025 marks five years since the COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented demand for children’s behavioral health and catalyzed huge changes in care delivery.  Halfway through the decade, the world of telehealth, licensure compacts and mental health apps is dramatically different. 

The payer-provider relationship can often be fraught with difficulty and distrust, even as mental health parity rules become established. But in Rhode Island, Bradley Hospital and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island are finding common ground through collaboration.  

If your child breaks their leg, you know you should take them to the emergency room, and that’s usually easy to find. It’s also normally in-network with your insurance. If your child is struggling with anxiety or depression, it’s much harder to find appropriate care in-network with your health insurance. 

The historically under-resourced care delivery system in Connecticut raised significant questions about how our state can improve the way we meet the behavioral health needs of young people. 

If 2020 was the year that the pandemic catapulted telehealth into the mainstream of healthcare delivery, 2023 was the year that it became the new normal, especially in behavioral healthcare.  But for telehealth, as for other aspects of post-pandemic life, settling into the new normal hasn’t always been easy. 

Every child who shows up in the ED in crisis is a sign that we, as a society, have not done enough to support them at other points in their journey. We need to move care away from crowded emergency departments and into homes, schools and communities, with a focus on prevention.