Child and Adult Care Food Program · Rhode Island
Rhode Island CACFP — State Agency, Sponsor Requirements, and Meal Pattern Overview
Rhode Island participates in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) under USDA Food and Nutrition Service rules. The program is administered locally by Rhode Island Department of Education, Office of Student, Community & Academic Supports. Below is the current state agency contact, what sponsoring organizations need to know before applying, and a summary of the USDA meal patterns every site in Rhode Island must follow.
Rhode Island CACFP State Agency
- Agency
- Rhode Island Department of Education
- Division
- Office of Student, Community & Academic Supports
- Phone
- (401) 222-8954
- Official CACFP page
- https://www.ride.ri.gov/StudentsFamilies/HealthSafety/ChildNutritionPrograms.aspx
- FNS Region
- Northeast Regional Office — USDA FNS Northeast
Who Can Participate in CACFP in Rhode Island
Any public or private nonprofit organization operating one of the following in Rhode Island may apply to RIDE to become a CACFP sponsor or independent center:
- Child care centers — licensed centers serving infants through age 12.
- Family day care homes — licensed homes operating under an approved Rhode Island sponsoring organization.
- Head Start and Early Head Start programs federally funded to serve low-income preschoolers.
- At-risk afterschool programs in area-eligible Rhode Island neighborhoods, serving suppers and snacks to children through age 18.
- Emergency shelters serving children and youth experiencing homelessness.
- Outside-school-hours care for school-age children before or after school.
- Adult day care centers operating non-residential programs for functionally impaired or older adults.
How to Apply as a Rhode Island CACFP Sponsor
- Confirm you meet federal eligibility under 7 CFR 226 and any additional Rhode Island state licensing or nonprofit status requirements.
- Review the sponsor application packet published on the RIDE CACFP page.
- Complete the required sponsor training. In Rhode Island, training is delivered directly by RIDE and includes meal pattern, civil rights, recordkeeping, and financial management modules.
- Submit the sponsor application along with your management plan, budget, outside employment policy, and any required licenses to RIDE.
- Pass the pre-approval visit and enter into the sponsor agreement. Once approved you may begin claiming meals served according to the USDA CACFP meal pattern.
USDA CACFP Meal Patterns Used in Rhode Island
Every CACFP site in Rhode Island — whether a family day care home, child care center, Head Start, or adult day care — serves meals that meet the federal CACFP meal pattern. The pattern is age-specific. Pick your age group below for the full requirement table and minimum serving sizes.
Infants Birth through 5 Months
0-5 months · Breakfast, lunch/supper, snack
Infants 6 through 11 Months
6-11 months · Breakfast, lunch/supper, snack
Children Ages 1-2
1-2 · Breakfast, lunch/supper, snack
Children Ages 3-5
3-5 · Breakfast, lunch/supper, snack
Children Ages 6-12
6-12 · Breakfast, lunch/supper, snack
Children Ages 13-18 (At-Risk Afterschool Only)
13-18 · Breakfast, lunch/supper, snack
Adult Participants
Adults · Breakfast, lunch/supper, snack
Rhode Island State Agency Monitoring and Reviews
RIDE conducts CACFP administrative reviews at least every three years for all sponsors it oversees in Rhode Island, as required by 7 CFR 226.6(m). These reviews cover meal counts, meal pattern compliance, civil rights, recordkeeping, claims accuracy, and financial management.
Sponsors in Rhode Island are also required to monitor each of their child care or day care home facilities three times per year, with at least two of those reviews unannounced and one including a meal service observation.
Need summer meals in Rhode Island?
CACFP covers year-round care. When school is out, Rhode Island sponsors often also run the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or sun-meals non-congregate service. See the Rhode Island SFSP state page for the state agency and summer meal rules.
Build compliant CACFP menus for your Rhode Island site
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