Through ARPA, USDA received waiver authority to support WIC and FMNP outreach, innovation, and modernization. Waivers are currently available to support WIC online shopping and ARPA funded projects.
As part of the WIC innovation and modernization efforts to be funded under ARPA, FNS is supporting planning and implementation projects focused on enhancements that improve the WIC participant experience, as evidenced by enhancing the WIC shopping experience, increasing participant enrollment, reducing unnecessary administrative burden for both participants and administrators, including through data matching to streamline enrollment, and retaining eligible participants while improving equity
Pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 are eligible. They must meet income guidelines, a state residency requirement, and be individually determined to be at "nutritional risk" by a health professional.
On Nov. 8, 2022, FNS published WIC Policy Memorandum #2023-1 Abbott Infant Formula Waiver Expiration Schedule which extended active waivers to Jan. 31, 2023, or 60 days after the end of the Presidentially-declared COVID-19 major disaster declaration in the affected area, whichever is sooner. However, FNS recognizes that WIC state agencies may need additional flexibility to ensure uninterrupted access to infant formula for WIC families even as WIC state agencies transition back to normal operations. The intent of this policy memorandum is to formally describe the timeline for this transition, as previously described in the Dec. 19, 2022 letter to state agencies.
Letter to WIC state agencies on unwinding and impacts of infant formula shortage.
Abbott recently announced it will continue providing a rebate on competitive infant formulas redeemed prior to Nov. 30, 2022. Since your WIC state agency holds an infant formula rebate contract with Mead Johnson-Reckitt or Nestle Gerber, this information is shared for your awareness.
Follow up to letter dated May 24, 2022 and recent listening sessions with state health commissioners and WIC state agencies.
This policy memorandum supplements an FNS instruction on the use of WIC acronym and logo.
The Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 1998 requires CACFP state agencies to distribute WIC benefits and eligibility standards information to child care centers and each family and group day care home.
FNS Instruction 815-1 Purchase of Medical Equipment