This week, West Virginians went to the polls for primaries to decide some national and local issues. We’ll talk about the results of some of Tuesday’s elections and hear from some voters.
On this West Virginia Week, West Virginians went to the polls for primaries to decide some national and local issues. We’ll talk about the results of some of Tuesday’s elections and hear from some voters.
We’ll dive into the soon-to-be legal raw milk trade. West Virginians will be able to purchase raw milk, as long as it is properly labeled. But that might come with a risk.
We’ll also learn about a demonstration at West Virginia University (WVU) calling for the university to disclose investments in and ultimately divest from Israel over the war in Gaza, as well as child nutrition.
Finally, we hear about Gov. Jim Justice’s call for a much-anticipated special session of the state legislature this coming Sunday.
Chris Schulz is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Randy Yohe.
Parents are often left with many questions about how to raise a child. Two of the areas that are most concerning and confusing are feeding and nutrition. Government programs can offer many different kinds of support
Parents are often left with many questions about how to raise a child. Two of the areas that are most concerning and confusing are feeding and nutrition. Government programs can offer many different kinds of support as Chris Schulz learned when he sat down to speak with WIC Outreach Liaison Sarah Moore for the latest installment of “Now What? A Series on Parenting.”
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
Schulz: What is WIC?
Moore: It’s a supplemental food program for women, infants and children up to the age of five. It provides nutritional assistance. The big thing we’re known for is giving food at stores when we help with formula, but another thing that isn’t known about us, we do breastfeeding assistance. So we have trained lactation consultants, they do all the breastfeeding assistance so you don’t have to pay for a lactation consultant and stuff like that.
We’re income eligible, and if you have a Medicaid card, and CHIP Gold, you’re automatically qualified. The state serves like 35,800 right now, and that includes pregnant women, postpartum women, infants and children.
Schulz: Why is ensuring that this particular population is receiving proper nutrition so important?
Moore: WIC was actually founded because they were finding that this population was iron deficient, so they are anemic and that can have really bad health outcomes. If it’s at a young age, in general too, but when you focus on that age and brain development, there’s issues with that, with their health outcomes. We do iron testing and lead testing. But a lot of our foods and stuff that are in our package are focused on improving that iron number.
It’s changed a lot throughout the years, though. It’s always good to go with WIC because we have people come in all the time that say, “Hey, I’ve EBT, why should I have WIC?” And it’s just because we have that nutrition, nutritional food, that package that’s going to supplement your food stamps, to make sure your child has a well-rounded diet. It just all goes with the brain development, and just your body’s growing so much in that timeframe. The toddler years kind of set the stage for the rest of your life.
Schulz: When we talk about the women that are served by Women, Infants and Children, by WIC, are we talking specifically about pregnant women? Or does that extend to the parents of young children as well?
Moore: So the women part comes from the pregnant woman and then postpartum because we serve up to six months if they aren’t breastfeeding, and a year if they are breastfeeding. But it is for all parents that have children in that age range. That’s a common misconception because it does say Women, Infants and Children, but yeah, it covers all parents.
Schulz: Is that why the organization nationally has started to shift away from women, infant children and towards WIC, to kind of signal that it’s more broad-based?
Moore: I would say so. Yes. Because there has been a misconception before with single dads and stuff that they don’t qualify, and we don’t want people turned away, to not even consider WIC because they don’t think they are the right target that we’re trying to get in. No, we accept all parents.
Schulz: Is the focus on healthier foods, fresh foods, how does that play into education beyond lactation consultation?
Moore: It is healthier foods. So it’s not like an EBT card where you can just go and get whatever food you want. There’s a lot of iron-fortified, low sugar foods, whole grains. We also have fresh fruits and vegetables, we do want people to have access, we also have farmers market benefits.
Participants will receive $30. So if you have a pregnant mom, a one year old and a two year old, that’s $90 to spend at your local farmers markets. So now you have your cash value benefits and your farmers market benefits. So like in the summer months, you’ll get a lot more fresh fruits and vegetables.
Schulz: Obviously, you’re working with the parents in your program to teach them about healthier foods, to teach them about how to avoid that iron deficiency. First of all, how is that happening? And are you addressing other issues like picky eating?
Moore: Yes, we are. Picky eating is probably one of the biggest things we get with that age range. But we do have nutritionists on staff. So when you come in for your clinic appointment, you will speak to a nutritionist, they’ll kind of go over your child’s day-to-day, what they’re eating. But we also ask for the parents’ concern so if there is picky eating concerns, or something related to that we can kind of offer suggestions on how to combat that.
We talk about weaning from the bottle, we’ve addressed potty training and stuff like that. So it’s kind of the go-to source for questions for parents if they’re struggling with something with their child, hopefully we have the answer and if not, we can refer you to someone that has the answer.
On this West Virginia Morning, the results from Tuesday’s primary election came in mostly as expected. Government Reporter Randy Yohe has covered the intense campaigning leading up to the primary and he joins us live in the studio with results and reactions.
On this West Virginia Morning, the results from Tuesday’s primary election came in mostly as expected. Government Reporter Randy Yohe has covered the intense campaigning leading up to the primary and he joins us live in the studio with results and reactions.
Also, in this show, we have the latest installment of our series “Now What? A Series on Parenting.” Parents are often left with many questions about how to raise a child. Two of the areas that are most concerning and confusing are feeding and nutrition. Government programs can offer many kinds of support, as Chris Schulz learned when he sat down to speak with WIC Outreach Liaison Sarah Moore.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
A new rule by the U.S. Department of Agriculture allows more flexibility for families who depend on government assistance for groceries.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
