Federal Grant Award Summary

The State of Rhode Island Department of Health received a Formula Grant award of $4.15 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service under the WIC Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (CFDA 10.557) to support administrative expenses for the program period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. These administrative funds enable the department to manage state-level operations of the WIC program, which delivers supplemental nutritious foods, nutrition education including breastfeeding promotion and support, and health and social service referrals to income-eligible pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five who are determined to be at nutritional risk.

As a state formula grant recipient, the Rhode Island Department of Health distributes WIC program funds to local agencies throughout the state for direct program implementation and participant services. The administrative expenses support the infrastructure necessary for program operations, including certification processes, nutrition education delivery, food instrument issuance and redemption systems, and fair hearing procedures. This award represents the state's proportional allocation under the WIC program's congressionally established funding formula, consistent with awards made to all state health departments across the nation to administer this comprehensive nutrition assistance initiative.