Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, a 100% federally funded program that provides nutritious food (via prescriptive vouchers), individual counseling, and health care referrals to high-risk, low-income (up to 185% of poverty) women and children up to the age of five.
Announcements
Research
and Reports
Outreach Materials
Reauthorization
Senators ask President Bush for more child nutrition money. See the Jan. 31st Action Alert for more information.
Initial analysis of Governor’s budget proposal reveals that the nutritional status of low-income Californians is threatened by direct hits to food assistance and other basic needs. Read the Jan. 24th Action Alert for the analysis and how you can take action.
Federal Funding Looks Brighter: The
Senate Appropriations Committee set WIC funding at $4.247 billion for FY 2002,
which includes the additional $110 million that California advocated for, so
that WIC can serve projected rising need across the country.
A joint House and Senate Conference Committee will meet after Labor Day
to iron out the differences in the two funding bills.
Call or visit your elected officials (at the very least the district
Congressional staff) and ask for support for the funding level set in the Senate
Agriculture Appropriations Bill.
Culturally Sensitive Food Prescription
Rule: The Senate Appropriations
Committee also approved Report Language to the funding bill which “urges USDA
to move expeditiously in consultation with WIC nutritionists and directors to
develop for public comment a food prescription rule responding to the needs of
culturally diverse populations.” The
House bill contains similar language, which helps to further ensure that the
USDA will move forward on this effort.
Funding for WIC FMNP vetoed:
Governor
Davis vetoed the $500,000 appropriated for the Farmers’ Market Nutrition
Program. Because the program runs
on a 30-70 state and federal match, this appropriation would have brought an
additional $1.5 million to the state of California in federal funds and given
fresh fruits and vegetables to 112,000 women and children.
Fit WIC Childhood Obesity Prevention Project: California was one of five states to receive a grant from USDA to examine how WIC can play a role in childhood obesity prevention. The project is co-coordinated by UC Berkeley and the State WIC Branch. Several sites in California have been selected to be part of this project and have recently participated in staff trainings to improve methods of client education on healthy eating and physical activity topics.
Food Stamp Outreach Materials for WIC
sites: CFPA has developed food
stamp outreach materials specifically tailored to WIC needs for both staff and
clients.
Applying for Food Stamps: What WIC staff
needs to know
Immigration Status Rules: What WIC staff
needs to know
Income and Assets Rules: What WIC staff
needs to know
Best Practices in Food Stamp Outreach at
WIC sites
Immigration Status Letter and Public
Charge information
WIC and Food Stamps Work Best Together (Client
Brochure – English and Spanish)
Increasing Access to WIC for clients:
A
brief overview of some of the benefits and barriers to increasing hours and
availability of WIC services.
Locations
of WIC agencies in California
See our Outreach Materials page for additional items.
WIC: A Door to Health Care for California’s
Children. A review of the
current status of health insurance for children in California and the role that
WIC can play in enrolling children in Medi-cal and Healthy Families programs.
Published by the California WIC Association and The Children’s
Partnership. WIC:
A Door to Health Care for California's Children
WIC Voices: A Hard Look at Realities on the Front Lines. An in-depth strategic audit of the realities, challenges and opportunities facing local California WIC Programs. Available from the California WIC Association.
California WIC and Prop 10: Made for Each Other. Demonstrates how WIC agencies can work with local Proposition 10 commissions to provide services for children ages 0 to 5. Published by the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities. Available at the UCLA CHCFA website.