WIC News and Resources

WIC Remote Services and Benefit Boost Extended

Updated Social Media Toolkit to Promote Remote Benefits and CVB Boost

We’ve made it easy for partners to share updated information about remote services and the fruit and veggie benefit increase with current and potential WIC participants. Our updated social media toolkit includes sample language in English and Spanish and a large assortment of high-resolution graphics like the images below.

Connect Families to WIC in <3 Minutes with Wanda

Wanda is the New York State Department of Health’s new 24/7 WIC virtual assistant. In a friendly and conversational tone, Wanda asks potential participants questions that prescreen for WIC eligibility. In less than three minutes, families can learn about WIC services, find out if they may be eligible, and get referrals to WIC clinics near them. Wanda is easy to use on a computer, tablet or smartphone.

You can help spread the word about Wanda and connect more families to WIC. Visit our WIC Help New York Resource Center to find tools to promote Wanda to families in your community. Resources include a letter-sized flyer, a post card, and a QR code that you can use in print and digital materials. Also available are high-resolution graphics for websites, newsletters, emails and social media posts. Sample social media language is included, too.

Need a WIC Article? We Have That, Too!

To assist our partners in their WIC outreach, we have created a series of articles of varying lengths with general information about WIC. Use these in your print or email newsletters, on your website, or in other outreach and communication to community partners or families. Topics include the health and nutrition benefits of WIC to children and families, eligibility criteria, how to apply, remote services and the CVB benefit boost, shopping with eWIC, and more. 

Find More WIC Outreach Resources

The WIC Help New York Resource Center is a one-stop shop for all of our WIC outreach materials. We continue to add new and updated resources, so please visit often to find refreshed content. With only about 50 percent of eligible New Yorkers enrolled in WIC, it’s urgently important to spread the word about this vital public health and nutrition program. Please visit today and start using the tools and resources in the Resource Center to connect eligible families to WIC.

National Research & Resources Round-up

Check out the latest research and resources from our national WIC partners.

National WIC Association:

• The State of WIC: Investing in the Next Generation highlights the experience of WIC providers and participants through 2021. Effective program reforms, including the WIC benefit bump and remote WIC services, have upended longstanding trends and leave WIC better positioned to deliver quality nutrition support.
• Multi-State WIC Participant Satisfaction Survey: Cash Value Benefit Increase During COVID shows increased fruit and vegetable consumption among child participants after benefits were increased in the summer of 2021.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

• Toolkit: Increasing WIC Coverage Through Cross-Program Data Matching and Targeted Outreach. Many of those missing out on WIC are enrolled in Medicaid or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which makes them automatically income-eligible, or “adjunctively eligible,” for WIC. This toolkit is designed to help state and local WIC agencies leverage data from Medicaid and SNAP to measure enrollment gaps and increase enrollment using tools to plan, launch, and/or strengthen data matching and targeted outreach to eligible families who are not receiving WIC benefits.

Food Research and Action Center:

• Making WIC Work Better: Welcoming Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. Grandparents are the primary caregiver for 6 percent of children under 6 years old. According to USDA, over 5 percent of WIC-eligible infants and children live in families without parents. These recommendations focus on specialized outreach, policies, and services that can be used to help overcome barriers and maximize participation.
• WIC Guide for Health Care Providers. Connecting patients to WIC is an evidence-based strategy to address the impact of poor nutrition and food insecurity on infant, child, and maternal health and well-being. This resource provides information about WIC and the importance of referring eligible people to this critical child nutrition program.

ICYMI: NYS WIC's Role with the Infant Formula Shortage

In light of an ongoing nationwide infant formula shortage, many parents and caregivers are deeply concerned about how they will safely feed their babies. While the current formula shortage is not exclusive to WIC participants or WIC-eligible individuals, it has generated much interest in the WIC program and formula access. Read our recent update to learn more about important role the New York State WIC program plays in supporting infant nutrition so you can best assist families looking for help and guidance around this issue now and in the future.

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