WIC and WCOMO: By Terri Trisler Outreach Coordinator, State WIC Office February 27, 2015 Hello, my name is ____. I work at _____. Thank you for taking the time to meet today. We know many people qualify for WIC but don’t know it. We are doing a variety of activities to try to reach people who qualify, and would like to see if there is a way we can work together to get the word out.

What is WIC? WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Founded in 1974 WIC in our region… Bipartisan support by Congress I thought it would be helpful to start by sharing some information about WIC. WIC has been around a long time - over 40 years and we’ve had bipartisan support from Congress since 1997.

Who WIC serves Low income: Pregnant women New and breastfeeding moms Children under 5 WIC is for low income pregnant women, breastfeeding and postpartum moms, and kids under age 5. Moms, dads, grandparents, and other caregivers of children under the age of 5 can all sign kids up for WIC.    

Who is eligible? Families that participate in certain other programs may make clients automatically eligible Federal Medicaid programs SNAP - aka Basic Food aka Food Stamps TANF - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Pregnant teens in foster care and foster children Almost all pregnant women, new moms and young kids on Medicaid, SNAP and TANF automatically qualify for WIC. Participation on one of these other programs is not mandatory, it’s just one way of knowing if a person will likely qualify. Pregnant foster teens and foster kids under age 5 qualify for WIC regardless of the household income. Many working families also qualify. Almost 2/3rds of WIC families are working families.

Income eligibility April 2014-2015 Here are our current income guidelines (2014 – update this when they change) Our guidelines are higher than many people think. It’s possible that a household with two working adults could still qualify for WIC. A family of 4 could have a gross income before taxes of $44,124 annually or $3,677 monthly and qualify for WIC.

How does WIC help? Pregnant women on WIC are more likely to have… Prenatal care Healthy weight gain Fewer premature babies and fetal and infant deaths Healthier infants when breastfed So does WIC help families WIC? Pregnant women on WIC are more likely to: Get earlier prenatal care Have healthy weight gain and better birth outcomes including lower infant mortality Breastfeed after they deliver, which protects their babies from disease and allergies

How does WIC help families? Infants and children on WIC are more likely to have... Healthy growth Higher rates of immunization Better access to healthcare Lower risk of developmental delays Increased vocabulary and memory scores Some of the benefits to infants and children on WIC are: Healthy growth including lower rates of childhood obesity Less illness due to better vaccination rates and breastfeeding Better access to healthcare Decreased risk of developmental delays Larger vocabulary and better memory

Does WIC work? Moms and kids on WIC are healthier, have a better diet and are more likely to get other needed services Bottom line: WIC saves health care costs The bottom line is…WIC works! Moms and kids on WIC: Are healthier Have a better diet Are more likely to get the other services they need. Extensive research shows that WIC has been proven to save health care costs too. An example of this is Medicaid costs for infant hospitalization were 29 % lower for clients who participate in both Medicaid and WIC.

Benefits Checks for healthy food Nutrition education Health screening and referrals Breastfeeding support WIC provides approximately $100 healthy foods when two in the family participate. This translates to $1200 of healthy food in a year. Available foods are chosen through a science-based process to provide nutrients lacking in diets of low-income women and young children. Our “claim to fame” is our nutrition education, with lots of focus on the parent/child feeding relationship, children’s developmental milestones, and physical activity. WIC staff measure clients’ growth, height, weight and blood iron level and screen for other medical concerns. Also, WIC staff have the opportunity to connect clients with other programs and services that they may need. WIC offers clients one-on-one appointments with nutritionists and lactation consultants and chances to connect with other WIC moms who are breastfeeding. Some clinics have breast pump programs too.

Washington WIC by the numbers 305,000 Number of women, infants, and children served by WIC 48% Percent of all babies in WA on WIC 212 Number of clinics in 61 agencies across all 39 counties 32% Percent of Medicaid clients eligible for WIC, but not enrolled In 2013, Washington WIC served over 305,000 women, infants and children. Almost half of the babies born in Washington are on WIC. Over 200 clinics provide WIC across the state. We’re helping a lot of families, but we have capacity for more: We know 32% of Medicaid clients were eligible for WIC – but have not enrolled in WIC. (May substitute local agency data)

Families are missing out on healthy foods and nutrition services WIC caseload has declined; 25,000 less clients served in 2014 vs. 2012 $15 million in healthy foods are not getting to eligible families WIC caseload has declined since 2012 – with 25,000 less clients being served. (Use local data if preferred). In our state $15 million worth of healthy foods are not getting to eligible clients and not getting into the local economy. (Could update with local area data) We’re asking for you, our community partners, to help us get healthy foods and nutrition services to eligible families. If asked about potential contributors to declining caseload: Declining birthrate Belief that other people need WIC more ; saving the benefits for others Concern that participation in government programs effects immigration issues – although WIC doesn’t effect immigration status Competing benefits (Examples: SNAP, Commodity Foods, etc.) Lack of awareness about the WIC program; Contradictory beliefs about who WIC serves People don’t think they’ll qualify for WIC

Please help us get the word out! WIC Outreach Materials: Eligibility guidelines WIC benefits How to apply for WIC One way to help us get the word out is by using our free WIC outreach materials. They include information about: WIC’s eligibility guidelines WIC benefits How to apply for WIC

Outreach materials We have posters and rack cards available in 14 languages, including English and Spanish. Here are pictures of a couple of the posters showing moms, dads, and families.

ParentHelp123 Resource Finder on the web Our materials include information about the ways to sign up for WIC. ParentHelp123 Resource Finder on the web Family Health Hotline: 1-800-322-2588 A new option is to Text “WIC” to 96859

By Phone: Call Debbie Nakano at 1-800-322-2588 HOW TO ORDER Online: www.withinreachwa.org/products-page/wic-the-nutrition-program-for-women-infants-children/ By Phone: Call Debbie Nakano at 1-800-322-2588 By Email: debbien@withinreachwa.org You might already have these materials, but you can order more and they’re free! Ways to get the materials: Online-- www.withinreachwa.org/products-page/wic-the-nutrition-program-for-women-infants-children/ Call – Debbie Nakano Phone # 1-800-322-2588 Email – Address: debbien@withinreachwa.org

Questions? What are your questions?

Contact Washington State WIC Program Terri Trisler www.doh.wa.gov/WIC terri.trisler@doh.wa.gov 360.236.3712