WIC News and Resources

Wanda’s Big Screen Debut

We are excited to announce that Wanda has been brought to life through animation in our new video, Wanda Connects You to WIC. The video lends more personality to Wanda by adding a voice and movement, so viewers feel more comfortable chatting with her. And this is just the beginning! Soon, Wanda will be joined by other characters that participants can relate to and learn from, including a dad, a grandparent, and a breastfeeding mom. You can view the video and other resources to promote Wanda by clicking on the following link: Wanda Outreach Materials.

More NYS Families May Qualify for WIC

On June 1, the federal income guidelines for WIC, which are in effect through June 30, 2024, increased. Now, a household of one person with a monthly income at or below $2,248, or a household of four with a monthly income at or below $4,625 ($55,500 annual income) may qualify for WIC. An unborn child can be counted as a member of the household for WIC. Additionally, applicants/participants who are currently participating in Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or are a member of a household that includes a SNAP recipient, a TANF recipient, a pregnant individual who is certified fully or presumptively eligible for Medicaid, or an infant who is certified to receive Medicaid will be determined adjunctively eligible for WIC.

Celebrate National Breastfeeding Month Through September 11, 2023

National Breastfeeding Month (NBM) celebrates breastfeeding and lactating parents, and all who work to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. The 2023 NBM theme, This Is Our Why, shines a light on the importance of this work, centering the conversation on the babies and families—the whys—who need support.

WIC provides vital breastfeeding education and support, including access to lactation specialists, peer counselors, and free breast pumps and other supplies based on needs. According to the most recent WIC Breastfeeding Data Local Agency Report, the percentage of breastfed infants has increased every year since 2010, reflecting the successful efforts of WIC state and local agencies to provide quality breastfeeding services to participants. In New York State, 48% of WIC’s 89,000 infants were breastfed in 2021, compared to the national average of 34%.

Join us in promoting WIC breastfeeding support during National Breastfeeding Month. Visit the WIC Resource Center to download social media images, messages, and videos that you can share on your social media channels and beyond.

Research Corner: Assessing and Improving WIC Enrollment in the Primary Care Setting: A Quality Initiative

New research published in the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) Pediatrics journal demonstrates primary care-based screening, education, and referral interventions that significantly improve WIC enrollment. The study also identifies knowledge gaps and access problems as potentially modifiable barriers to WIC participation.

University of Georgia Study on Expanding WIC Past Age 5 Until Kindergarten

The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences recently completed a study that examined the diet of 5-year-olds who have aged out of WIC and have yet to start kindergarten, a gap of time that often leaves families without food assistance. They examined medical data from a decades-long survey collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, where parents recalled what their child had eaten over 24 hours. Researchers used the Healthy Eating Index to translate the data into a dietary score and found that the nutritional quality of the child's diet decreased by about 20%.

Additionally, the study's authors calculated that the cost of expanding WIC past age 5 to the start of enrolling in elementary school would average about 2% of the total program costs. Read more about this study.

ICYMI: Remote Services and Fruit & Veggie Boost Continue

Although the COVID-19 federal public health emergency expired on May 11, 2023, WIC remote services will continue. Starting in August, all WIC applicants and participants will be provided the choice of an in-person or remote appointment. Additionally, WIC's temporary CVB fruit and vegetable benefit bump is extended through September 30, 2023. 

Visit the WIC Help New York Resource Center to get updated resources to promote these two vital WIC flexibilities.   

Child Nutrition Partner Spotlight: Summer Meals for Toddlers and Preschoolers, too!

This summer, nearly 450 schools and community organizations are serving free, healthy meals to kids and teens under age 18. Help spread the word and direct families to their local summer meals site by using free, easy-to-use resources, such as flyers, sample social media posts, graphics, and more, on HungerSolutionsNY.org/Summer.

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