SANTA FE (AP) - Gov. Bill Richardson proposes to expand a state tax credit for child care expenses.

Moving to address concerns raised by the state auditor, the state's early childhood agency has improved the monitoring of the millions of dollars in state and federal funds it distributes to child care providers, a spokesman said yesterday.

Marie Ettiene is on a very long list.

Ever hear of a private corporation that decides it can deal with a financial downturn by cutting millions from its own budget and giving the money to another company? That's virtually what the state of Florida will be doing if the legislature goes through with plans to cut $14.6 million in school readiness money. How? That money serves as a match to pull in another $11 million in federal funds earmarked for Florida that will otherwise go to other states.

While the percentage of Rhode Island children living in poverty has dropped to 15 percent from 21 percent in recent years, child advocates worry this progress will be derailed by a series of deep cuts to welfare and other safety-net programs for low-income families proposed by Governor Carcieri.

A shortage of child-care assistance funds has prompted state administrators to place thousands of parents on a waiting list and to consider restricting eligibility.

The two top Democratic candidates for governor both want to empty the state's child care subsidy waiting list if elected, they said this week.