Looking for a Rewarding Career? We're Hiring! Hunger Solutions New York is seeking an Outreach Specialist to conduct outreach and education to increase enrollment in WIC among eligible individuals in New York State. If you are interested in joining a team of dedicated professionals working to increase WIC participation in New York State, learn more about this exciting opportunity. |
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WIC Action Corner Throughout the pandemic, WIC providers quickly adapted to new challenges and changing circumstances, standing up remote services that resolved long-standing barriers to access and resulted in a 10 percent nationwide (13.9 percent for New York State!) increase in child participation. These flexibilities are tied to the public health emergency declaration, and Congress must act before the end of the year to make these options permanent. In order to #ModernizeWIC, we need the Senate to pass a Child Nutrition Reauthorization that permanently makes WIC more accessible to today’s and tomorrow’s families: - Extend postpartum WIC eligibility to two years
- Extend child WIC eligibility to age six or the beginning of kindergarten
- Modernize WIC services
Now is the time to strengthen WIC’s critical services to improve the health of the next generation. Our Senators need to hear New Yorkers’ voices to push this over the finish line! Take a two-minute WIC Action at bit.ly/CNRHealth. |
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State and National Research and Resources Round-Up Check out the latest research and resources from our partners around the state and nation. National WIC Association (NWA)
In March 2022, ten online focus groups were conducted in North Carolina with WIC participants to elicit their thoughts and experiences about the WIC food package. Key themes from the resulting report, Improving the WIC Experience: Recommendations for a More Valuable Experience, include: - Many participants felt the current CVB amount for fruits and vegetables was not enough.
- Substitutions and benefit rollovers could help families better meet a child's shifting eating habits, reduce waste, and combat food shortages.
- COVID-19 flexibilities granted under the public health emergency made it easier for families to enroll and participate in WIC.
Generations United
We are proud to have our statewide targeted outreach work for WIC and partnership with the NYS Kinship Navigator featured in the Generations United report, Together at the Table: Supporting the Nutrition, Health, and Well-Being of Grandfamilies, the 2022 State of Grandfamilies. With more than 2.4 million grandparents caring for their grandchildren, the report findings reinforce the need to improve access for grandfamilies to federal and state nutrition assistance programs. Some findings include: - One-in-four grandparent-headed households experience food insecurity.
- More than five percent of WIC-eligible infants and children live in families without parents present; three percent live with a relative caregiver, and two percent with an unrelated caregiver.
Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
WIC During COVID-19: Participation and Benefit Redemption Since the Onset of the Pandemic, finds: - From February 2020 through February 2022, NYS experienced a six percent increase in total WIC participation, and 13.9 percent increase in child WIC participation.
- From March 2020 through February 2022, WIC food package benefit redemptions infused $7 billion into local economies nationwide.
- WIC waivers and enhancements during the pandemic simultaneously removed access barriers and increased the value of participating in WIC.
- Despite overall modest growth, WIC is still reaching only about 50 percent of eligible New Yorkers. Lessons learned from the pandemic should be considered for further strengthening of legislative advocacy efforts.
1,000 Days
Nutrition in the First 1,000 Days, a new special series in the American Journal of Public Health, identifies the 1,000 day window between pregnancy and the baby’s second birthday as untapped potential and focuses exclusively on this critical time for brain development and when good nutrition has the greatest influence on future health. The 70-page series with more than 15 authors outlines investments needed to achieve nutrition security, new opportunities for pediatricians to better support families in their care with nutrition advice and access, new analysis on the impact of COVID-19 for people who gave birth during the height of the pandemic, how to improve breastfeeding outcomes without leaving anyone behind, and the role of Early Childcare and Education (ECE) settings to strengthen overall support systems for low-income families and influence the healthy growth and development of children. New York Health Foundation
Based on their statewide Survey of Food & Health, New York Health Foundation’s new brief, Food Insecurity in Families with Children, explores the impact of food insecurity on families in New York State and outlines recommendations to improve the well-being of food-insecure families with children. Key takeaways include: - Three-in-four food-insecure households with children cannot afford to feed their children a balanced meal, and approximately half have children who have gone hungry in the last year.
- Nearly 90 percent of WIC participants find the benefits easy to use, and 82 percent agree that their local stores carry enough WIC-approved items.
- The report urges government officials to maximize participation in WIC and other federal nutrition programs through increased outreach and streamlined application and certification processes, and recommends that health care providers implement routine food insecurity screening and referral processes as part of their scope of practice.
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