WIC Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

U.S. Department of Agriculture Expands WIC Options

A new rule by the U.S. Department of Agriculture allows more flexibility for families who depend on government assistance for groceries.

The West Virginia Department of Health (DH) announced changes to the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children, commonly referred to as WIC.

According to a press release, the program increased the amount of money available to low-income families to purchase fruits and vegetables while allowing more flexibility in selecting foods from a variety of cultures.

“These changes reflect the program’s commitment to promoting healthy eating habits and catering to the diverse nutritional needs of West Virginians. By offering a wider variety of healthy choices, WIC empowers participants to make decisions that boost the health of West Virginians who depend on this program,” said Heidi Staats, director of WV WIC, housed within DH’s Bureau for Public Health.

For 50 years, the federal program has given states the power to provide supplemental food, health care referrals and nutritional education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breast-feeding postpartum women.

The program also benefits infants and children up to five who are found to be at nutritional risk.

According to the DH, West Virginia WIC serves 70 percent of all babies born in the state.

“In a time of rising food insecurity and high food costs, increasing participants’ purchasing power for healthy foods is critical,” Staats said. “The Office of Nutrition Services will work diligently to implement the more complex flexibilities of the WIC food package final rule within the two-year regulatory timeline. However, families can immediately access the enhanced Cash Value Benefit to purchase fresh, canned or frozen fruits and vegetables.”
To learn more about WIC services or how to apply for benefits call 304-558-0030. Visit dhhr.wv.gov/WIC for more information.

Federal Government Shutdown Will Affect W.Va. Families, Seniors

The looming federal government shutdown will have a major effect on some of West Virginia’s most vulnerable: the very young and the elderly, when it comes to putting healthy food on the table.

The looming federal government shutdown will have a major effect on some of West Virginia’s most vulnerable, the very young and the elderly, when it comes to putting healthy food on the table.

The state’s two major food banks, Facing Hunger in Huntington and the Mountaineer Food Bank in Gassaway, help more than a quarter million people in need.

Facing Hunger Food Bank CEO Cyndi Kirkhart said a shutdown would immediately stop checks and meals going to tens of thousands in the WIC, or Women Infants and Children and Meals on Wheels for seniors programs.

“There’s about 37,300 individuals in our region’s WIC program,” Kirkhart said. “Out of that number, 7,592 are women. There are 21,313 children. And then the infant’s number is 8,387. With a shutdown, the benefits will stop with immediacy.”

She said WIC families losing about $200 a month will not have the specific purchasing ability for earmarked nutritional food resources.

“All those important foods, like milk, juice, cereal, those things that families rely on to have healthy children, suddenly become out of reach,” Kirkhart said.

Kirkhart said most of the seniors getting Meals on Wheels lack mobility.

We have about 57,000 seniors that qualify for federally-funded programs,” Kirkhart said. “Many rely on Meals on Wheels to bring meals into their homes. What meals they don’t get from the Meals on Wheels program, they’re going to turn to the food banks, and other charitable food programs to supplant those missing meals.”

Kirkhart said depleted West Virginia Food Bank inventories still have not recovered from the pandemic, from inflation, from cutbacks and other societal variables.

“Everyone is feeling the pain of high inflation and high fuel prices so charitable giving starts to drop,” she said. “We pay more for the food that we purchase. We can’t buy as much as we have historically. And we’re trying to expand programming to do home deliveries to the seniors at a very critical time. So, it’s quite a perfect storm.”

Kirkhart said the Facing Hunger Food Bank has strategically planned for purchases to help those who may be in immediate need.

“We have things lined up to make additional purchases of those very food products that focus on WIC and our seniors enjoy,” she said.

Kirkhart said people with questions on food availability can contact the Facing Hunger Food Bank at 304-523-6029. Or contact the Mountaineer Food Bank at 304-364-5518.

WIC Sign Ups Available At Fairs, Festivals This Summer

In an effort to take more information to the public, staff from the West Virginia Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, better known as West Virginia WIC, are heading out to fairs and festivals in local communities this summer.

It’s not always easy to know where to go and what to do when you are applying for government aid.

As part of an ongoing effort to modernize services and remove barriers to accessing WIC benefits, the West Virginia WIC program will utilize an online participant portal to accept applications.

“Fairs and festivals are an opportunity for WIC staff to meet families in the community while highlighting the support and public health services available through WIC clinics,” said Jamie Wilkinson, outreach coordinator for West Virginia WIC’s Office of Nutrition Services. “We look forward to seeing new faces as well as those who have been a part of the WIC program since their pregnancy and child’s birth.”

Local West Virginia WIC agencies will host children’s activities, diaper changing stations and mother’s lounge for infant feeding, and free farmers markets while enrolling eligible families at the following events. Dates listed indicate West Virginia WIC staff presence; some events extend for additional days.

July:

Marshall County Fair (July 24-30)

Jackson County Jr. Fair (July 28-29)

WV Hot Dog Festival (July 29)

August:

Tri-County Fair (August 3-5)

Braxton County Fair (August 1-5)

Berkeley County Youth Fair (August 5-12)

WV State Fair (August 10-19)

Town and Country Days (August 14-19)

Parkersburg Homecoming (August 18-19)

September:

Italian Heritage Festival (September 1-3)

Beckley Kids Classic Festival (September 9)

Preston County Buckwheat Festival (Sept 28-30)

Autumn Fest (Sept 30)

For more information about West Virginia WIC, visit dhhr.wv.gov/WIC. To view and apply for DHHR careers, visit dhhr.wv.gov/Pages/Career-Opportunities.aspx.

Providing Access To Healthy Food Through WIC

Heidi Staats is the director of DHHR’s Office of Nutrition Services and said the new technology simplifies the purchasing process and streamlines payments to farmers.

The West Virginia Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) has replaced its paper coupon booklet system with an electronic platform called the WIC Farm Market Direct.

As part of the new system, participants will have a QR Code affixed to their eWIC card, allowing for electronic transactions.

Participants can also check their card balance through a web-based portal.

The program is administered by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Bureau for Public Health and Office of Nutrition Services.

Farmers who are authorized to accept WIC Farm Market Direct will scan the code on the member’s eWIC car with a mobile device and receive payment via direct deposit.

Currently, 106 farmers are participating in the WIC program; a listing of participating farmers and farmer’s markets is available on the website.

Recipients may redeem benefits from June 1 to Oct. 31, 2023.

Heidi Staats is the director of DHHR’s Office of Nutrition Services and said the new technology simplifies the purchasing process and streamlines payments to farmers.

“This new technology platform has many benefits for both WV WIC participants and local farmers,” Staats said. “It simplifies the purchasing process for participants, reduces stigma by functioning like a credit/debit card, streamlines payments to farmers and farmers markets, provides real-time data for review and analysis, and ensures efficient and secure management of federal funds and benefits.”

Inflation Adjustments Raise WIC Income Eligibility

A family of four can earn $55,500 and still qualify for WIC benefits, according to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Bureau for Public Health, Office of Nutrition Services. That’s an increase of $4,162 from 2022. These guidelines are adjusted for recent inflation over the past year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the updated income eligibility guidelines for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children known commonly as WIC.

“Our goal is to provide nutritional services and information that help keep West Virginia families healthy,” said Dr. Matthew Christiansen, state health officer and commissioner for DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health. “West Virginia WIC serves more than 36,000 mothers and young children monthly. With the expanded income guidelines, we can serve more families.”

An additional 4,600 West Virginians could be served under the expanded WIC income eligibility guidelines. Families enrolled in the program receive nutrition education, breastfeeding education, nutritious foods, and access to maternal, prenatal and pediatric healthcare services that may otherwise be unavailable. West Virginia WIC serves 86 percent of all babies born in West Virginia.

The new income guidelines represent 185 percent above the federal poverty level for all 48 contiguous states.

Visit here for more information about West Virginia WIC. And here for more information regarding new USDA WIC eligibility guidelines.

State WIC Program Making Switch Back To Similac Baby Formula Distribution

The change comes after the reopening of the Abbott manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan, last July. It’s the largest formula manufacturing plant in the country.

West Virginia’s WIC program is returning to only offering baby formula products using the Similac formula.

The change comes after the reopening of the Abbott manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan, last July. It’s the largest formula manufacturing plant in the country.

The plant recalled its Similac formula after cases of cronobacter and salmonella infections were reported in infants who had consumed it, including one reported case in West Virginia. It caused a nationwide shortage of the then-most popular baby formula in the country. As a result, the state WIC temporarily offered comparable formulas as an alternative starting last March.

“West Virginia WIC will continue to work with our retailers and Abbott Nutrition to ensure adequate supply of approved infant formula remains on West Virginia’s grocery shelves,” said Heidi Staats, Director of DHHR’s Office of Nutrition Services, in a statement.

The state agency will return to exclusively offering Similac formula on March 1. WIC is also allowing larger sized cans of Similac products to be purchased through April 30.

The nationwide baby formula shortage is expected to persist through this spring, according to a December report from Reuters.