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Substance Use Prevention Resources
CWA has just updated resources all in one place on the
WIC Can Help
information and referral
page for June
on
Alcohol and Substance Use
. It features many women-specific resources around curbing the use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, including some new resources for consumers and professionals on e-cigarettes and opioid abuse.
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Sun Safety
As summer approaches, we are participating in more outdoor activities - and exposing more skin to the sun. Here are some
sunscreen do's and don'ts
, including info on safe sun habits, types of sunscreen, and which SPF to use!
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FY18 Budget and Appropriations: Time is Getting Short
Last week, while much of the world was glued to the testimony of former FBI Director Comey before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Russian meddling in the election, Congress was hearing news of a $60B-$70B shortfall in tax returns, as filings were slow to come in, in anticipation of tax cuts. A fall deadline to potentially raise the debt ceiling, is now looking like a summer deadline, and only 13 days remain in the legislative calendar before the August recess. Complicating matters for the Republican interests is the need to complete health care reform, to be included in the budget, and then hoped for tax reform, all extremely complex and volatile issues. President Trump went on the road during the hearings and pitched some of his budget proposals including privatizing aspects of our national infrastructure which would favor wealthy corporate interests and as history has shown, cost the government more. The budget proposal released in late May would provide adequate funding for WIC (See May 30 Flash) if participation and costs remain steady, but the safety net young families for nutrition, health and social services would be severely cut which impact the ability of all programs to remain effective in alleviating hunger, creating employment and housing opportunities, providing health care, early childhood education and more.
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Healthcare Advocacy Training
With threats to health care coverage, advocates in California are standing strong to fight for children. Coalitions have formed, representing diverse advocacy and stakeholder groups. One effort, led by Children Now, is urging lawmakers to protect coverage. Another effort, led by CA Children's Hospital Assn. and Family Resource Centers is providing updates and trainings across the state to keep the fight alive for health care coverage. Local trainings are being for anyone, including families. Register here for trainings in San Bernardino and Stockton, and for info for the Los Angeles training, email: [email protected].
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State Budget Deal Close!
The Legislature and Governor Brown are close to reaching a final deal on the State Budget. Included are General Fund augmentations to fully restore Medi-Cal Adult Dental benefits starting in 2018, as well vision care for Medi-Cal recipients beginning in 2020.These are considered "optional benefits" per the federal government's Medicaid program and CA had eliminated these benefits during our last recession. Adult dental benefits were only partially restored previously. Still to be worked out is the Legislature's proposal to use Prop 56 Tobacco Tax Revenues to expand health care services under Medi-Cal. The Governor wants to use the $1.3 billion to "supplant" or "backfill" a shortfall in Medi-Cal. The Legislature proposed to follow the will of the voters and use the funds to do the following: provide rate increases for physicians under Medi-Cal; provide rate increases for dentists under Medi-Cal (Denti-Cal); restore optional benefits under Medi-Cal; provide funding to train new physicians (Graduate Medical Education and Song Brown program funding); and provide $10 million for pediatric home nursing rate increases. The Governor's spokesperson from Dept. of Finance told the Budget Conference Committee that they have heard the Legislature's preference for the Prop 56, funding but that they are also trying to balance the need for fiscal responsibility in the overall state budget. Most believe those discussions on Prop 56 will continue between the Governor's Office and the Legislative Leadership and that there should be a deal reached by the June 15th deadline for floor votes. The Governor needs to sign the new State Budget into law by July 1st for the 2017-18 new fiscal year.
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Fall Conference: Save the Dates
Plan to join us October 2-4 at the
Holiday Inn Sacramento
. Three fall education events are specifically designed for WIC Directors/Managers and others in supervisory positions. We'll start with CWA's Capitol Education Visits Monday afternoon. On Tuesday, State WIC will host an all-day meeting with important updates. Wednesday's CWA Education Day will bring expert speakers and engaging discussions focused on customer care, leadership, and sharing concerns and solutions with community health centers for improved staffing and better family health outcomes. CE units will be offered. ACTION:Mark your calendars and stay tuned for details in the Flash and on our
Training webpage
.
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Breastfeeding May Reduce Endometrial Cancer Risk
Women who breastfeed their babies
may lower their own risk
of developing endometrial cancer, a
new study
suggests. Using data from 17 past studies, researchers found that women who had ever breastfed their children were 11 percent less likely (than women who had children but didn't breastfeed) to be diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Longer breastfeeding seemed to further lower endometrial cancer risk, though there was little extra benefit past 6-9 months of breastfeeding.
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Think "Vape" is Safe for Children?
About
one third of adults
don't think that secondhand "vape," the aerosol produced by e-cigarettes, poses
a risk to children
, even though e-cigarettes contain
toxic ingredients
like nicotine and heavy metals. Researchers say that the low number is due to the newness of the products, industry promotion and lack of regulation. The Surgeon General called e-cigarettes "a major health concern" in a
December 2016 report
, advocating for policies that would protect people from breathing in secondhand aerosol while they're indoors. Last year, the FDA issued a
rule
to begin regulating these products, including a
ban
on the distribution of free samples. It also prohibited e-cigarettes from being sold to minors - including a prohibition on selling e-cigarettes in vending machines accessible to them. The
American Lung Association
cautioned against allowing children to be exposed to secondhand e-cigarette aerosol.
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Prebiotics May Help Overweight Children
Prebiotics
reduce body fat in overweight children
by stimulating the growth of good bacteria already in the gut (different from probiotics, which introduce new bacteria), according to
a new study from the American Gastroenterological Association
.
Participants in the study included children 7 to 12 years old, who were classified as overweight or obese, but otherwise healthy. Participants were randomly assigned to groups given either the prebiotic fiber or a placebo, for 16 weeks. Children in the prebiotic group had an annual projected body weight increase of 6.6 lbs., and those in the placebo group had a projected body weight increase of 17.6 lbs. Larger studies are needed, but prebiotics may be an inexpensive and non-invasive treatment for overweight and obese children.
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WIC Feeding Practices Study Infographic
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CHILD Working Group Report
Since the establishment of the Children's HHS Interagency Leadership on Disasters (CHILD) Working Group in 2010, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made significant progress in integrating the needs of children (birth through age 17) across all disaster and public health emergency preparedness, response, and recovery activities.
This report details
HHS's advancements in its commitment to the health and well-being of children in disasters from 2014 through 2015 in the following areas: behavioral health; medical countermeasures (MCM); child physical health, emergency medical services (EMS), and pediatric transport; child care, child welfare, and human services; pregnant and breastfeeding women and newborns; and children at heightened risk.
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Paid Family Leave Webinar
Research has shown that the application process for Paid Family Leave is one of the biggest barriers to eligible individuals using their benefits. In order to increase awareness and usage, California Employment Development Department is hosting a
June 20 webinar
to help you get more informed about the application process for caregiving claims and answer questions from clients, employees, patients, and/or community members. This webinar will cover the application process for filing a claim electronically or by mail, the documentation needed, and where claimants can go for assistance and more information.
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