- Extend WIC eligibility to postpartum mothers through the first two years after the birth of a baby and to children through age 6. Enable infants and children to participate for two years before having to reapply.
- Make permanent the current waivers that have enabled families to access WIC services during the pandemic. These include allowing certification via phone or drive-thru clinics, extending certification periods, expanding the allowable food items for WIC shoppers, and continuing telehealth models.
- Ensure that all women who qualify for WIC based on income and nutritional risk are able to participate, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.
- Advance racial equity in WIC participation, including by making approved foods within the WIC packages more culturally relevant; providing targeted support based on health disparities; and establishing a process for equitable beneficiary participation in program design, implementation, and evaluation.
- Provide resources necessary for all states to implement WIC Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) and expand online purchasing options.
- Ensure updates to the WIC food package continue to be grounded in sound nutritional science and reflect the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
- Increase the monthly Cash Value Benefit for purchases of fruits and vegetables.
Recommendation
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program Recommendations
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation urges these actions to prevent hunger and increases in poverty.
Issue Brief
WIC Food Package Promotes a Healthy Diet
Report