Attention RI SNAP Beneficiaries Please be aware there is currently fraudulent activity taking place in other states affecting SNAP Benefits on EBT cards. While we do not believe there is any activity of this nature currently taking place in Rhode Island, please be advised you will never be asked to sign up for instant cash benefits or be asked to provide personal information, your card number, or PIN. If you ever receive a call, email, text, or social media invitation to do so, never click any links or provide the requested information.Please know, ebtEdge will never request this type of information from you. Please remember to protect yourself by changing your PIN frequently – using a different PIN each time – or by freezing your card. If you are uncertain about or confused by a suspicious inquiry, please contact DHS and call the EBT customer service line at 1-888-979-9939 to change your PIN. You can find more information on how best to protect yourself from possible SNAP-related fraud here.
Office Update Due to facility maintenance, the DHS regional office at 195 Buttonwoods Ave., Warwick, will only be open for document drop-off until further notice. All planned appointments and customer interviews at the Warwick office have been rescheduled for other times, locations, or over the phone. The Customer Portal (healthyrhode.ri.gov), the mobile app, the Call Center (1-855-697-4347), and other regional offices remain available.
JUNE 2024 SNAP NOTICE Beginning June 1, 2024, the federal government is requiring households receiving SNAP benefits to complete an interview as part of the application and recertification process. Additional information is available on the program’s page here: https://dhs.ri.gov/programs-and-services/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/supplemental-nutrition-0
Did you know. . . Document Scanning Centers can help you open or update your case quicker? If you only need to share key information to your case, consider visiting our offices at 125 Holden Street or 249 Roosevelt Avenue and you could have your case updated in as little as 10 minutes. More information is available online here.
Goals and Priorities The legislative priorities and goals of the agency have been updated. To learn key highlights from DHS, please visit the About Us page here.
Translation Services Available If you are seeking information about DHS programs and services in a language other than English, translation services are available to you at no cost. Persons with disabilities requiring another form of communication, such as auxiliary aids for hearing and the visually impaired, can inform DHS about their needs so appropriate accommodations can be made.
Family Resources The following are family resources that may be helpful for families, those in CCAP and others. Need food assistance? Our Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is a resource for eligible families. Family Violence Option Advocacy Program assists DHS customers who are victims/survivors of domestic violence. The Community Action Program (CAP) agencies throughout Rhode Island can help with basic & emergency needs, counseling, employment, education, financial services, health and DHS' energy assistance and weatherization programs. Women, Infants and Children (WIC) services can help you learn healthy choices and lifestyles, support with breastfeeding, screen for health, growth and development and more. The Rhode Island Children's Cabinet website has a multitude of prenatal to pre-K resources to keep RI kids strong. Head Start services provide high-quality learning opportunities at no cost to children birth to age 5, providing positive educational and health outcomes for families and their children. Early Intervention promotes the growth and development of infants and toddlers who have a developmental disability or delay in one or more areas, helping ensure all children are able to develop to their fullest potential. The Child Outreach Screening Program serves as a vehicle for screening children ages 3- 5, prior to kindergarten entry, providing a first step to identifying children who may have a disability or developmental delay requiring intervention. RI Pre-K RI Pre-K provides free, high-quality Pre-K education to 4-year-old children through the state's lottery system, which typically opens for applications in each spring. An interest form for the 2024-2025 school year is available here. Learn about DHS' initiatives to support and ensure quality child care here. Want to know how a child care provider becomes licensed? Go here.