Human Services RI Department

Human Services RI Department, RI Veterans Home Division, is a state government agency operating as a recipient of federal formula grants and block grants rather than a contractor. The division receives and administers federal funding across child care, early intervention services, community action programs, and child support enforcement in Rhode Island, with no direct federal contracts or subcontractor relationships in its footprint. As a child entity of the State of Rhode Island, the Human Services RI Department serves as the designated state lead agency for multiple federal grant programs under the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

The division's federal grant portfolio totals $3.24 billion in combined obligated funding across 178 awards, all operating as prime recipient grants. The top customer concentration is heavily dominated by the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF), which accounts for a plurality of the awards across child care and related social services programs. Recent awards include a $55.472 million Child Care and Development Block Grant Discretionary award (CFDA 93.575) effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028, which passes through to the Seiu Education & Support Fund for early childhood educator training; a $31.488 million Child Support Services block grant (CFDA 93.563) covering October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026; a $19.237 million Child Care and Development Fund Mandatory and Matching award (CFDA 93.596) running through September 30, 2028; and a $10.350737 million Community Services Block Grant (CFDA 93.569) distributed to nine community action program sub-recipients across Rhode Island through September 30, 2027. The Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services funds early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities; the division received $2.587 million under the Special Education-Grants for Infants and Families program (CFDA 84.181) effective July 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027.

The RI Veterans Home Division operates as the direct grant administrator for child care quality improvement and subsidy programs, community action and poverty reduction initiatives, child support enforcement, and early intervention developmental services. The division distributes sub-award funding to community-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and local government entities, including sub-awards to the Seiu Education & Support Fund for educator training, nine community action programs (East Bay Community Action Program, Blackstone Valley Community Action Program, Westbay Community Action Inc., and others) for poverty reduction services, and organizations such as Brown University, Day One, Amos House, and the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare for homelessness and family support services. The division also receives project grant funding from the Veterans Health Administration for certified nursing assistant (CNA) recruitment, certification training, and sign-on bonuses at the State Veterans Home facility in Bristol, Rhode Island, with a $47,500 federal contribution (50% match) under an October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025 award.

Recent activity shows declining year-over-year award count — ten awards in 2022, declining to two in 2026 — though the dollar volume remains substantial due to multi-year block grant renewals. Eleven awards carry ultimate completion dates within the next twenty-four months and therefore face recompete or renewal timelines. The division's federal footprint spans 19 distinct customer agencies, with the vast majority of dollars flowing through ACF child care, community services, and child support enforcement programs, supplemented by Department of Education early intervention funding and Department of Energy weatherization assistance.