 | WIC News, Advocacy, and Resources |
| | New WIC Food Packages Starting in April! NYSDOH WIC is finalizing updates to the WIC food packages! While there have been many modernizations to WIC’s program and shopping experience since the pandemic, these are the first major food package changes in 15 years and will make food packages more relevant for a diverse population (i.e. more options for whole grains, lactose-free and plant based milk substitutes, and options for substituting eggs, juice, and nut butters), while also providing additional improvements and flexibilities for participating families. The infant food package updates were implemented in February. The updates for women and children food packages are set to launch on April 6. NYSDOH has prepared a few public-facing resources that have been added to the NYS WIC Vendor Website’s Foods & Formula page: Remember: Many families may be eligible for both WIC and SNAP, and WIC may be particularly helpful for families who may not qualify for SNAP in the coming months due to the new federal HR1 changes. WIC eligibility was not impacted directly by HR1. You can educate your patients or clients about the program and refer interested families to a WIC agency. |
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| WIC Wednesdays: Help Protect Access to WIC Amid rising food insecurity and unprecedented federal cuts to SNAP, state action is needed to protect New York families’ access to WIC and SNAP. More than 140 state, regional, and local organizations recently sent this letter to Governor Hochul, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, and Speaker Heastie in support of WIC and SNAP. Thank you to those who were able to sign on to the letter and to all who can now forward it to your elected officials! Every bit of advocacy helps. As state leaders negotiate the final budget, you can help elevate the urgency of state investment in these vital programs. Every Wednesday (between now and whenever the budget passes!), please post on social media, call, and share to help get the word out! WIC partners are rallying supporters across the state to make their voices heard and urge New York State leaders to adequately fund WIC. Your participation can make a real impact. How to participate: -
Post on social media and share with friends and colleagues. Use the WIC Wednesday toolkit for sample content, images, and more! -
️Call leaders and urge them to fund WIC. Use the WIC Call-in Script to help guide your message. Please take a moment to look it over so you feel confident and ready to jump in! - Governor Kathy Hochul: 518-474-8390
- Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins: 518-455-2715
- Speaker Carl Heastie: 518-455-3791
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Send an email. Use our tool to email Governor Hochul, your representatives, and leaders in the New York State Legislature. Thank you for standing up for WIC and the families who depend on it. Your voice matters, and any day is the perfect day to use it! Reminder: Regardless of your role at work, all concerned community members may make these calls during a break or after work, on your personal phone. Please check whether your organization has a designated staff member who can make advocacy calls on behalf of WIC. |
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| Latest Social Media Toolkit: Find Out if WIC is Right for You! WIC provides nutrition education tailored to the needs of families, offering practical guidance on healthy eating from pregnancy through early childhood. Through in-person and over-the-phone consultations with nutritionists and convenient online learning options, families can learn about essential nutrients, meal planning, shopping for WIC foods, kid-friendly recipes, creating positive food experiences for kids, and more. The latest social media toolkit, Find Out if WIC is Right for You! aims to increase awareness of WIC eligibility criteria in New York State, with special emphasis on the newest automatic eligibility for families enrolled in Head Start/Early Head Start and the NY State of Health Essential Plan. Messaging highlights eligibility categories, streamlined access for families participating in automatic eligibility programs, and the wide range of WIC’s health and nutrition benefits to help families stay healthy and grow strong. WIC currently provides access to nutrition science-based food packages, breastfeeding support, and other services to about 460,000 New Yorkers. Although participation is at its highest since the Great Recession and has increased more than 25% in the last few years alone, WIC serves only two-thirds of eligible New Yorkers statewide. In general, WIC participation is especially low among pregnant women and children ages 2-5, vital times for brain development. Visit the WIC Resource Center to get these and other resources speaking to WIC’s nutrition education services, breastfeeding support, modernizations, and many other materials in multiple languages to promote WIC to families in your community. |
| | | Calling All WIC Voices! For over fifty years, WIC has been our nation’s premier maternal and child health public health program, providing nutrition education tailored to the specific needs of families, offering practical guidance for healthy eating from pregnancy through early childhood. Whether you are a current or former WIC participant, staff, or advocate, you can also use your voice to advocate for the future of WIC. We are partnering with the WIC Association of NYS to gather real WIC stories to show our state and federal policymakers that WIC matters to communities across the state. Learn more and share your story here. Thank you for your continued commitment to help strengthen families, improve health outcomes, and build more food-secure communities throughout the state. For WIC questions, reach out to Misha Marvel, Manager, Early Childhood Nutrition Policy & Engagement, at [email protected]. |
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| Hunger Solutions New York
14 Computer Drive East | Albany, New York 12205
518-436-8757 | [email protected] |
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