Federal Grant Award Summary

The Judiciary of the State of Rhode Island received a $100,000 formula grant award from the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families under the Grants to States for Access and Visitation Programs (CFDA 93.597), effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2027. This award supports Rhode Island's State Access and Visitation (SAVP-2026) program, which facilitates non-custodial parent access to and visitation with their children through evidence-based services including mediation, counseling, parenting education, development of parenting plans, visitation enforcement, and establishment of guidelines for alternative custody arrangements.

The judiciary administers these federally funded services as part of its specialized court programming, leveraging the two-year funding cycle to sustain and supplement ongoing state expenditures for access and visitation activities. The formula grant allocation is determined by the relative proportion of children in Rhode Island living with one biological parent compared to the national total, with a statutory minimum allotment of $100,000 for fiscal years following 1998. This award represents consistent federal support for judicial programs that strengthen family law administration and promote meaningful parent-child relationships across the state.