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Our Staff

Paige Clausius-Parks, EdM

Executive Director

pclausius-parks@rikidscount.org
401-351-9400, ext. 12

Paige Clausius-Parks is Executive Director of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. From 2018-2022, Paige served as Senior Policy Analyst; responsible for policy analysis, advocacy, research, and project management in areas related to education and economic well-being. Prior to joining Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, Paige served as Director of Advancement and Assistant Director at Books are Wings, Network Director at Youth in Action, Teacher/Advisor at the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center, and Program Coordinator at Youth Pride, Inc. Paige has a Bachelor of Arts from Providence College and a Master of Education from Harvard University.

 

Kelsey Bala

Policy Analyst

kbala@rikidscount.org

401-351-9400, ext. 15

Kelsey is responsible for policy analysis, advocacy, research, and project management on child welfare and juvenile justice issues. Kelsey received her Bachelor of Science from Gordon College and her Master of Public Health from Brown University with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health. Kelsey has a background in adolescent mental health and worked as a Clinical Research Assistant at Bradley Hasbro Children’s Research Center on several prevention-based research studies, including one on dating violence prevention interventions for juvenile court-involved girls. While at Brown, Kelsey wrote her master’s thesis on how Adverse Childhood Experiences can affect adult health. Kelsey is a Providence native. She has strong ties to the community and a deep knowledge of the needs of children and youth and is passionate about eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.

Leanne C. Barrett

Senior Policy Analyst
lbarrett @rikidscount.org

401-351-9400, ext. 23

Leanne is a Senior Policy Analyst at Rhode Island KIDS COUNT and works to improve early childhood policy statewide (Birth – Age 8). She is the coordinator of the RIght from the Start Campaign and the Rhode Island Early Learning Council. Leanne has been a leader in developing state laws, policies, and systems to expand access to high-quality child care, Pre-K, Head Start, Early Intervention, family home visiting, maternal and early childhood mental health services, and paid family leave. Prior to joining Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, Leanne was Vice President at United Way of Rhode Island and Program Manager at Work/Family Directions, Inc. She has a bachelor’s degree in developmental psychology from Brown University and a master’s degree in child and family policy from Tufts University. Leanne is endorsed as an Infant Mental Health Policy Mentor.

Jennifer Waring Capaldo

Program and Technology Coordinator
Jcapaldo@rikidscount.org

401-351-9400, ext. 18

Jennifer is responsible for providing program and technology coordination for Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. She provides assistance in all issue areas, tracks legislation and testimony, provides logistical and technological support for meetings and events, contributes to the writing and coordination of the annual Factbook, updates Rhode Island data for the National Kids Count Data Center, and is the point person for all our technological needs. Prior to her current position, Jennifer was a marketing manager in the design and construction industry. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts degree from New England College.

Ms. W. Galarza

Executive Assistant / Office Manager

wgalarza @rikidscount.org

401-351-9400, ext. 10

Ms. Galarza is responsible for providing administrative support to the Executive Director and Finance Director. She manages the Executive Director’s schedule and assists with communication with the Board of Directors. She provides logistical support for events, meetings, and conferences, and manages travel arrangements for all staff. She performs the accounting and clerical tasks for processing invoices, Factbook and Kid Pin sales, and issuing payments. Ms. Galarza oversees all office management and maintains office supplies, equipment, and staff administrative records.

Stephanie Geller, EdM

Deputy Director
sgeller @rikidscount.org

401-351-9400, ext. 11

As Deputy Director, Stephanie is responsible for supervising policy and communications staff, program planning, coordination of the annual Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook, and grants management. She has been a member of the Rhode Island KIDS COUNT staff since 2008, previously serving as Senior Policy Analyst responsible for policy analysis in the areas of education, poverty and family economic security. In 2017, Stephanie received the RI Education Champion Award from the New England Secondary Schools Consortium. She has also served on the Annie E. Casey Foundation's national KIDS COUNT Steering Committee, as a PrepareRI Ambassador, and on the Nellie Mae Education Foundations’ Speaker’s Bureau. Before joining Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, Stephanie was a Research Associate at the National Center on Family Homelessness where she managed a multi-site study that examined the effectiveness of different housing and service approaches for homeless families. Previously, Stephanie was Research Director at Volunteers in Health Care and Scientist at the National Center on Substance Abuse Treatment Needs Assessment. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Wellesley College and a Master's in Education with a focus on Human Development and Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

María Guevara

Finance Director
401-351-9400, ext. 27
María is responsible for the internal controls, annual budget, accounting systems and reports necessary to monitor and maintain the financial position of the organization. She prepares regular grant reports to foundation and government funders, monthly financial statements, and materials for the annual audit. María also manages information technology and computer systems, including telephone and internet services. Prior to her current position, she was Fiscal Officer for the Woonsocket Head Start Child Development Association and the Finance Director/Finance and Budget Analyst for Social Enterprise Greenhouse. Maria is originally from Chile where she worked for more than a decade in the finance and investment sectors. Maria has also put her skills to use volunteering for a number of nonprofits related to women and children’s issues, including The Empowerment Factory. María has a Bachelor of Science degree from Universidad de Santiago de Chile and is bilingual in English and Spanish.

 

 

Katherine Linwood

Communications Manager
klinwood@rikidscount.org

401-351-9400, ext. 22

Katherine (Katy) is responsible for implementing external and internal communications for Rhode Island KIDS COUNT across all issue areas. She maintains our website, social media, and e-newsletters; manages media relations; and assists with policy publications. Previously, she was Policy and Administration Coordinator in the Office of Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts and Oral Health Program Specialist at the RI Department of Health. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Anthropology and Health Policy from Harvard University.

 

Kaitlyn Rabb

Policy Analyst

401-351-9400, ext. 14

Kaitlyn is responsible for policy analysis, advocacy, research, and project management in areas related to health. Kaitlyn received both her Bachelor of Arts and her Master of Public Health from Brown University. While at Brown, Kaitlyn wrote her master’s thesis on Black women’s breastfeeding experiences. She is deeply committed to reducing and eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in maternal and child health. She has also worked on the issue of childhood obesity, developing training curriculum materials for a family-based child weight management intervention through the Hassenfeld Child Health Institute. 

Kaitlyn also brings a deep commitment to community engagement. She worked with the Providence Healthy Communities Office on summer meals participation and as a Bonner Community Fellow led a team of Brown students providing math and science tutoring to students in Providence public schools. 

Jessica Vega-Alejandro

jvega@rikidscount.org
Senior Policy Analyst 
401-351-9400, ext. 20

Jessica is responsible for policy analysis, advocacy, research, and project management in areas related to education and economic well-being. Prior to joining Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, Jessica served as Dunamis Synergy Initiative Director at West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation, Program Director at Social Enterprise Greenhouse, and Skill Development Manager at Foster Forward. She also served as High School Advisor at College Crusade, Case Manager at Tides Family Services, and Home Health Case Manager at The Providence Center. 

Jessica served on the Central Falls City Council and was most recently City Council President. Jessica also co-developed and facilitated Rhode Island’s first-ever participatory budgeting initiative, which provides a tangible way for the Central Falls community to engage in the democratic process for allocating how a pool of funds will be used. She also serves as Chair of the Central Falls Juvenile Hearing Board. Jessica has a Bachelor of Arts from Rhode Island College and a Master of Arts from Roger Williams University. Jessica has a strong commitment to race equity and is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Rhode Island KIDS COUNT works to improve the health, safety, education, economic security, and development of Rhode Island’s children.

Address

Rhode Island KIDS COUNT
One Union Station
Providence, RI 02903

Contact

401-351-9400
401-351-1758
Email Us

401-351-9400
Email Us

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