SEPTEMBER 14 2021
VOTE!
If you have not yet voted, you still have time, today, vote! Return your vote-by-mail ballot today, with the prepaid postage as long as it's postmarked today. Or return, in-person, to a secure ballot drop box, a voting location, or your county elections office by 8:00 p.m. today. In-person voting locations will offer voter registration, replacement ballots, accessible voting machines, and language assistance to those who need it.
Join State and Local Providers Across the Country in Calling for an Extension of the WIC Benefit Bump!

Sign your organization onto this letter from NWA by Thursday, September 16, to let Congressional leaders know the importance of taking action to extend the CVB increase by September 30. Once you've signed on to your State or local organization, speak up and reach out to your Congressional office to let them know the direct impact of the WIC benefit bump on WIC participants, their families, and the whole community. See this NWA fact sheet for additional information on the push for the WIC benefit bump extension. If you have any questions about how to contribute to the push for an extended WIC benefit bump, please reach out to NWA's State Public Policy Manager, Noora Kanfash, at nkanfash@nwica.org
House Committees Mark Up Reconciliation Legislation
Last week, several House committees started markup on a $3.5 trillion legislative package, putting together several meaningful anti-poverty proposals including: historic child nutrition provisions, a comprehensive paid family and medical leave program, and an extension of the Child Tax Credit expansions through 2025.
Lift the Bar Act
On Friday, Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) introduced the LIFT the BAR ACT. This legislation eliminates the five-year waiting period for certain immigrant families to access critical health and federal benefit programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 
Enhanced Unemployment Benefits Expire

Nearly 18 months after Congress came to the rescue of jobless Americans, its historic expansion of the nation's unemployment benefits system expired nationwide this weekend. Lawmakers, who extended the three pandemic programs in December and March, are not expected to renew them again.
Federal and State Vaccine Mandates
President Biden last week pushed two-thirds of American workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, mandating that all companies with more than 100 workers require vaccination or weekly testing. Biden also moved to mandate shots for health care workers, federal contractors and the vast majority of federal workers, who could face disciplinary measures if they refuse. These federal mandates join CA state vaccine mandates for healthcare workers, teachers, and state employees.
CA Wraps Up Legislative Session
The CA State Senate adjourned the first year of the 2021-22 legislative session having made significant investments in climate change, wildfire, drought, schools, infrastructure, and health care. The following are some of the actions taken during the 2021 legislative session:
 
·         Extended the moratorium on evictions and protections for tenants and small landlords.
·         Passed legislation to support schools, teachers, and students as they transitioned back to in-person learning.
·         Expanded health care to all Californians over the age of 50, regardless of immigration status.
·         Invested $12 billion to tackle housing and homelessness.
·         Provided record levels of funding for K-12 education, and made historic investments in child care and universal transitional kindergarten.
Doulas as a Medi-Cal Benefit

CA Dept of Health Care Services is making plans to begin offering doula services as a covered preventive Medi-Cal effective Jan. 1, 2022. On Sept.16, DHCS will hold a virtual stakeholder meeting to discuss preparing to add doula services, in preparation for submitting a State Plan Amendments (SPA) to CMS in November. Stakeholders will be asked to provide input on the doula benefit, including their qualifications to provide Medi-Cal services and a description of covered services.
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WIC Wellness Wednesdays!

Join us for Wellness Wednesdays 12:30-1:00pm on the following dates:
  • 9/15/21: Santa Clara County WIC will be hosting some relaxing LIVE Qigong with our certified instructor, Cat Burmeister.
  • 9/22/21: LIVE Yoga Nidra Guided Meditation with Rachel Von Cott, Santa Cruz County
  • 9/29/21: Portable Peace Practices Session Two: Enhancing Alignment and Relieving Back Strain, Tony Gryffin, PhD


*CWA has decided to host only live Wellness Wednesdays, so please sign up here to host if you or a staff member, or community partner, can share some Wellness with our WIC community.
Infant Formula Websites Overtly Discourage Breastfeeding
An analysis of websites for baby formula manufacturers finds that their messages and images discourage breastfeeding while touting the benefits of formula, despite public health efforts to support breastfeeding and informed choice.

Midwife Services Fill Critical Needs
Recent stories in the LA times feature midwifery services in Los Angeles filling a gap in care, especially for families who are Black and often at great risk of maternal and infant mortality in hospital maternity care. Shout out to Kim Durdin a longtime WIC and breastfeeding advocate!

CA Maternal Mortality Surveillance Report
The MCAH Division of CDPH released the first report from the California Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System (CA-PMSS) project. This surveillance report provides the most accurate information on California’s pregnancy-related deaths (including those up to one year after the end of pregnancy) occurring from 2008 through 2016. Read the findings, learn about the methodology and find additional report highlights by visiting the CA-PMSS web page.


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Facts About Booster Shots for COVID-19
Federal health officials announced that people in the United States vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna-NIAID may be able to get booster doses as early as this month. The news comes as the Delta variant has led to a major surge in COVID-19 cases.
Affordable Housing
Affordable housing provides more than just shelter. It can positively impact child development, education, mental and physical health, and other social and economic factors. WIC Can Help by referring families to local resources for rental assistance, subsidized housing, foreclosure prevention, and other ways to keep a roof over their heads.
Support CWA online!
As a nonprofit membership organization, CWA relies on the contributions of many organizations and individuals to help us achieve our mission. There are many ways to give of your time, talents, or resources to help CWA promote healthy families, strong communities, and bright futures! We appreciate all forms of support and invite you to join us!
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