House, Senate Proposals Continue to Fall Short for WIC



Last week the House selected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) as Speaker, and they have now moved on to considering appropriation bills for FY 2024. Speaker Johnson has proposed the House pass another continuing resolution before November 17th to avert a government shutdown, and has asked Republicans to form a working group to resolve lack of support for the House Agriculture-FDA bill. Meanwhile the Senate is advancing their “minibus” FY 2024 spending bill, which includes the Agriculture-FDA, Military Construction-VA, and Transportation-HUD appropriations.  

The White House submitted a letter to Congress asking to increase funds in critical areas – including prioritizing fully funding WIC – as it continues work to fund the government.  Under both the House and Senate bills, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that 600,000 Young Children and New Parents Could Be Turned Away Unless Congress Adheres to a 25-Year Bipartisan Commitment to Fully Fund WIC.

Earlier this month, the Senate Finance Committee held their first ever hearing on paid family leave. The U.S. is the only developed country without a national paid family leave policy, and only 27% of civilian workers have access to paid family leave, and 25% of women return to work within two weeks of giving birth.

Last week the USDA’s Economic Research Service released the Household Food Security in the United States in 2022 report, which examined American households’ ability to access sufficient food last year. The report found that while most U.S. households were food secure throughout 2022, food insecurity rose last year from 10.2% to 12.8% of households, and the number of children living in food-insecure households nationwide jumped by 44%.

Four years ago the California Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act was signed, requiring hospitals to provide anti-bias in medicine training for hospital staff as one way of combatting racism and significantly higher maternal mortality rates among BIPOC women. A recent investigation by the Attorney General found only 17% of hospitals were in compliance. The Attorney General is recommending additional steps be taken to address these gaps in care and tragic outcomes.

WIC Wellness News Online



You can now read the October issue of W³, the WIC Worksite Wellness Newsletter. This issue is all about sustainability and reducing your carbon footprint. This is a great one to share with colleagues and coworkers and is also an opportunity to introduce an interoffice challenge. For example, who can reduce their carbon footprint the most over a month? You can use any number of tracking calculators out there for this type of challenge.

Additionally, check out the new WIC Healthy Recipes playlist on our YouTube channel, which was created from all the great cooking videos that John and his team at American Red Cross WIC have put together. This will be an easy way to share them with staff and participants. And check out the newest recipe and video for this newsletter, which is No-stove Sweet Potato Chili.

Read the Fall Issue of CWA's WIC Watch Magazine Now!



We're pleased to share the Fall 2023 issue of the WIC Watch! This is a great opportunity to read news from CWA, local WIC agencies, and partner organizations. Have a great idea for a story? It's never too early to submit for the next issue! Contact Sarah to learn more! Stories for the Spring Issue are due January 17th, 2024.

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In mid-September, the CDC recommended the updated COVID-19 booster for everyone 6 months and older, but over a month later, caregivers of young children are still finding it difficult to get vaccination appointments, especially for families with Medi-Cal.

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Data from more than 15,000 lower-income children ages 2 to 6 reveals higher-than-expected levels of significant behavioral dysfunction. Study authors urge increased screening, prevention programs in primary care settings.

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