Federal Grant Award Summary

The Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education received a formula grant award of $215,892.00 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service under the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP, CFDA 10.558) for the period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. This award supports the state agency's administration and oversight of the CACFP, which provides federal reimbursements for nutritious meals and snacks to eligible children and adults enrolled in participating child care centers, day care homes, afterschool care programs in low-income areas, and emergency shelters throughout Rhode Island.

The funding enables the state administering agency to maintain program operations, distribute federal reimbursements to local institutions and nonprofit providers, provide technical assistance, conduct oversight and audit functions, and ensure civil rights compliance across participating facilities. As the state's CACFP administrator, RI DESE enters into written agreements with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service and subsequently establishes permanent agreements with approved child and adult care institutions, which are required to operate nonprofit food services available to all eligible participants regardless of protected characteristics and maintain comprehensive program records for accountability purposes.