WIC News You Can Use for Families Who Are Pregnant or Caring for Young Children |
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WIC Flexibilities Renewed Through Mid-April With the recent national extension of the public health emergency, WIC flexibilities are now in place until at least mid-April. For New York, WIC agencies are allowed to issue benefits remotely so participants don’t have to pick up their WIC benefits in person. Participants may enroll or re-enroll in WIC without visiting a clinic in person and postpone certain medical tests. Specifically, clinics may serve participants remotely via telephone, text or videoconference, and remotely load WIC benefits onto eWIC cards. Please visit our COVID-19 page for background and policy links. |
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Benefit Boost for Fruits and Veggies |
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WIC's cash value benefit (CVB) increase has been extended through the end of December. Most WIC moms and kids will automatically get $24-47/month each on their eWIC card to buy fruits and veggies—that's 3-4 times more than before June and now set at 50 percent of recommended intake based on the National Academics of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) guidance, resulting in monthly CVB benefits of: - $24 for children,
- $43 for pregnant and postpartum participants,
- $47 for breastfeeding participants, and
- $70.50 for participants fully breastfeeding multiple infants.
Please visit our COVID-19 page for background and policy links. |
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You can use other materials in the WIC Help New York Resource Center to promote WIC services to families who may be eligible. NYS WIC has served over 360,000 pregnant and postpartum women, infants and children under age 5 all through the COVID-19 pandemic, yet reaches less than 50 percent of potentially eligible New Yorkers. With remote services, eWIC, the WIC2Go app, and Wanda—the new virtual WIC assistant—it's easier than ever to participate and apply. Wanda is available online 24/7 to help prescreen potential clients, answer questions, and provide referrals to local WIC clinics. |
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