07/12/2022
Hunger Solutions New York
𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙎𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙏𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙩: 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮, 𝙎𝙚𝙩, 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙬!
WIC provides nutritious food, health and nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to community services to about 370,000 low-income New Yorkers. It leads to healthier births, more nutritious diets, better health care, and plays a critical role in improving lifetime health for young children and their parents. To raise awareness of this critical public health and nutrition program, Hunger Solutions New York has released Ready, Set, Grow!, a new social media toolkit focused on WIC’s health benefits.
𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙒𝙄𝘾 𝙊𝙪𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙨
With only about 50 percent of eligible New Yorkers statewide enrolled in WIC, and even fewer upstate, outreach to potentially eligible families is urgently important. The WIC Help New York Resource Center is a one-stop shop for WIC outreach materials. Visit to find everything you need to spread the word and connect families to WIC, including tools to promote Wanda, WIC’s 24/7 virtual assistant, a selection of articles with general information about WIC, flyers with messaging for different audiences, and more.
𝙐𝙥𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙒𝙄𝘾 𝙄𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙂𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently updated federal income eligibility guidelines for WIC. For example, through June 30, 2023, a working family of four can have an annual gross income of $51,338 and qualify. When considering eligibility, please note that an unborn child can be counted as a member of the household. And, remember, a WIC applicant who has proof of already participating in Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF automatically meets the income eligibility requirements for WIC and does not need to provide further proofs of income.
𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙉𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 #ExtendtheWICBump
Reports show that increases in WIC benefits have led to increased fruit and veggie consumption among WIC-enrolled children and a greater variety of produce purchased by WIC families. Unless funding is extended, participants will lose access to WIC’s enhanced vegetables and fruits by September 30. The National WIC Association is leading the effort to #ExtendTheWICBump to support the long-term health of children with early nutrition interventions like the WIC bump. Please take two minutes to add your voice here.
𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝 & 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙍𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙-𝙐𝙥
Check out the latest research and resources from our national WIC partners.
𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘉𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 (𝘊𝘉𝘗𝘗)
• Infant Formula Shortage Highlights WIC’s Critical Role in Feeding Babies shows how infant formula shortages triggered by a safety recall have brought attention to the role that the WIC program plays in the infant formula market. This paper explains how WIC negotiates with infant formula manufacturers to provide lower rates for formula purchased with WIC funds, and how policymakers have responded to the shortage — addressing some key misperceptions — and raises key questions that policymakers will need to address as they develop policies to prevent an infant formula supply disruption like this from happening again.
𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 (𝘍𝘙𝘈𝘊)
• Eight Ways to Maximize WIC and Reduce Barriers highlights the impact of WIC in reducing food insecurity and nutrition-related health problems during pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood, and also includes a timeless graphic that spotlights the health and nutrition benefits of this vital program.
𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘞𝘐𝘊 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 (𝘕𝘞𝘈)
• Factsheet: Responding to COVID-19: How the Public Health Emergency Declaration Affects WIC. Since March 2020, WIC providers have modified services to reflect the public health risks posed by COVID-19. Critical waiver authorities — including ongoing telehealth flexibilities — are contingent on the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) declaration, which must be renewed every 90 days by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This fact sheet explains how sudden or premature termination of the PHE could complicate WIC’s ability to continue to serve participating families and undermine the progress made in improving nutritional outcomes for new and expectant parents and young children during the pandemic.
• Update: Infant Formula Crisis Social Media Toolkit. Created earlier this spring, NWA’s toolkit includes messaging examples and graphics that help agencies inform families about the recall and their best options. The newest toolkit additions cover messaging about safety do’s and don’ts, increasing breastmilk supply, relactation, and breastfeeding education. Other topics include identifying recalled formula, returning or exchanging recalled formula, formula safety, and breastfeeding support. Content is available in English and Spanish.
