Rhode Island WIC and Free School Meals for Kinship Caregivers

You are covering groceries for a child who showed up with nothing, and the monthly food budget is already strained. Rhode Island has three food programs that can help right now — WIC for children under 5, free school meals for school-age children, and Summer EBT for the months when school is out. A court order is not required for every relative caregiver, but WIC requires a parent or legal guardian to authorize a non-parent caregiver. All three programs can run alongside SNAP.

WIC for Children Under 5

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is administered by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). It covers supplemental foods — milk, eggs, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, infant formula — along with nutrition counseling and health referrals for children up to their fifth birthday.

Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives can help with a child's WIC participation. If you are not the child's parent or legal guardian, that person must designate you as a caretaker using RIDOH's WIC Parent/Guardian #2 and/or Caretaker Designation Form; a designated caregiver can receive nutrition education, the child's food benefits and eWIC card, and sign specified WIC forms.

Categorical eligibility makes this straightforward. If the child already receives RIte Care (Medicaid), RI Works cash assistance, or SNAP, the child is categorically eligible for WIC — no separate income screening needed. Bring proof of the child's enrollment in one of those programs to the WIC appointment, along with the child's identity and age documentation (birth certificate or immunization record showing the date of birth).

If the child is not on any of those programs, WIC has its own income guidelines. The current gross income ceiling is 185% of the Federal Poverty Level.

WIC benefits are loaded onto an eWIC card, separate from SNAP. The two programs can be used at the same time — WIC does not reduce SNAP benefits, and SNAP does not reduce WIC.

To apply, contact a local WIC office or call the RIDOH Health Information Line at (401) 222-5960 for help finding one. Local WIC agencies serve Providence, Warwick, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, and communities across the state. Bring the child, proof of Rhode Island residency (utility bill, lease, or mail showing your address), and proof of income or categorical eligibility documentation.

Free and Reduced-Price School Meals

Children in grades K–12 can receive free breakfast through the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and lunch through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), administered in Rhode Island by the Department of Education (RIDE).

For kinship families already receiving SNAP or RI Works, the process is automatic. The state runs an electronic Direct Certification match: children in households receiving SNAP or RI Works qualify for free meals without a separate application. The household should receive an informational letter from DHS; if you do not receive one or a child is missing from it, contact school officials. If the household was not matched, the school meal application can list the SNAP or RI Works case number instead of household income.

If the child is not on SNAP or RI Works, you can submit a household meal application through the school. The form asks for household size and income. In a kinship household, list the people who live together and share meals. If you are the only adult and the child is the only minor, a two-person household with your income is what the school evaluates. Income limits for free meals are set at 130% FPL and reduced-price at 185% FPL.

Some Rhode Island school districts participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which provides free meals to every student regardless of income. Ask the school whether it operates under CEP — if so, every child eats free and no application is needed.

Summer EBT (SUN Bucks)

When school lets out, the Summer EBT program — called SUN Bucks in Rhode Island — provides $120 per eligible child to cover groceries during the summer months. The benefit is loaded onto an EBT card.

Children ages 6 through 18 are automatically enrolled through Direct Certification when they live in a household where a child receives SNAP or RI Works. Children in a household receiving Medicaid may also qualify if household income is at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level; some Medicaid programs require an application.

If the household already has an EBT or SUN Bucks card, DHS loads the benefits onto that card; if the household has no card, DHS mails a SUN Bucks card to the address on file. If a card is lost or misplaced, call ebtEDGE at 1-888-979-9939 to request a replacement. If you have recently changed addresses or the child recently moved into your care, make sure DHS has your current mailing address.

How These Programs Overlap with SNAP

WIC, school meals, and SUN Bucks operate independently of SNAP. Receiving one does not reduce another. A child can receive all four simultaneously:

• SNAP covers general household groceries
• WIC adds targeted nutritional foods for children under 5
• Free school meals cover breakfast and lunch during the school year
• SUN Bucks adds $120 per child for summer groceries

Once a household receives SNAP or RI Works, its children qualify for free school meals, and school-age children can be matched automatically for SUN Bucks. Children may also qualify for SUN Bucks through school-meal eligibility and other routes.

What You Need to Get Started

Have the child's name and date of birth and your current mailing address ready. For WIC, RIDOH asks for parent or guardian proof of Rhode Island residency, income or qualifying program participation, and identity documents for the child and adult applying. School meal applications ask for household members and income, which the school may verify. Some children are matched for SUN Bucks automatically; other eligible households apply through DHS.

The programs use different household and income rules. For WIC, a non-parent caregiver needs authorization from the child's parent or legal guardian; school meals and SUN Bucks use their own household and program eligibility rules.

If you want a step-by-step breakdown of every financial program available to relatives raising a child in Rhode Island — including how WIC, school meals, SNAP, RI Works, CCAP, and RIte Care fit together — the complete Rhode Island financial help guide walks through each one with the forms, agencies, and application steps in order.

See more Rhode Island guides →