MAY 4, 2021
President Biden Outlines Legislative Agenda, Highlights Investment in Families

Last week, President Biden gave his first joint address before Congress, laying out out the details of his plan for the post-pandemic economy. He proposed to extend the child tax credit expansion through 2025, expanding access to child care and pre-kindergarten education, and making community college tuition-free, as well as the creation of a comprehensive federal paid family and medical leave program
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Introduced in the Senate
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which would create a consistent, national standard for reasonable workplace accommodations for pregnant workers, assuring that pregnant workers wouldn't have to choose between a paycheck and the health of their pregnancies, has been introduced in the Senate. PWFA was reintroduced in the House in March and passed in the House Education and Labor Committee in a 30-17 vote. 
Help Protect and Increase Wage Replacement During Family Leave

California's paid family leave and state disability insurance benefits are lower than other states. CWA is proud to work on several paid family leave initiatives in partnership with the California Work and Family Coalition. ACTION: Check out these 5 ways Californians can advocate for more pay when taking time off work for parental leave, caregiving, or recovery reasons, and choose which one(s) you're going to do!
New CA Guide for Health Information Sharing

The California Office of Health Information Integrity (CalOHII) is proud to announce the publication of State Health Information Guidance (SHIG) Volume 2 - Guidance on Sharing Health Information to Address Food and Nutrition Insecurity in California.
The SHIG Volume 2 gives health and social service providers as well as food provisioners the knowledge and confidence they need to share patient/client information that supports coordinated and integrated care and services. It clarifies federal and state laws by translating them into non-legal and non-technical language for a general audience. Learn more about the SHIG at the SHIG webpage or email at shiginformation@ohi.ca.gov

Surviving Compassion Fatigue - Through an ACEs Aware Lens
2 Part Workshop May 25 & 26, 2021 | 8:30am – Noon
Cost: No Cost to WIC Employees & Community Partners
CEUs Offered
Through funding provided by the ACEs Aware Initiative, Beverly Kyer is providing training on mitigating Compassion Fatigue to build emotional and mental resilience so providers can attend to their own well-being and continue providing critical services. Questions: Email Jodi!
Conference Week 2021 is Here!
We are so grateful to be among nearly 1,700 attendees at the 29th annual CWA conference and trade show, Resilience: Strengthening and Supporting California’s Families. Yesterday’s presentations were outstanding and we extend our gratitude to the speakers. The exhibitors and sponsors are with us to learn about how WIC services are being provided during a pandemic and going forward. What a great opportunity for the local agencies to share some of the new ways they are supporting families. Some things we will be learning about today include what participants say about changes in WIC during COVID, human milk sharing and introducing meat to infants, and also taking time to care for ourselves using a gratitude practice. By Friday, we will have connected with subject experts, networked with colleagues and participated in some friendly competitions to keep it fun.
Spring 2021 WIC Watch Published!
Our latest issue of the WIC Watch - CWA's bi-annual magazine about all things WIC - was published this morning! Inside you will find policy updates, local agency news, research and policy briefs, WIC workforce developments and wellness innovations. Do you have a story that you want to share in the next WIC Watch? Send it to Sarah!
Linking WIC to Expand Access
To best serve eligible participants WIC services need to be linked to other health and safety net programs so that eligibility, enrollment and participation are easy and streamlined. A recent survey of California WIC local agencies found there are very few linkages between WIC and other programs. CWA is proud to provide a new issue brief, Linking WIC for Health Equity: Expanding Access to WIC Through Horizontal Integration, highlighting the need for linkages and make recommendations for improvements. 
Children Now Account for Over 20% of COVID-19 Infections
A year ago, child COVID-19 cases made up only around 3% of the U.S. total - they now make up about 22%. Experts link the trend to several factors – particularly high vaccination rates among older Americans, COVID-19 variants and the loosening of restrictions on school and activities. Children still account for a very small percentage of the worst COVID outcomes.

More Than 25% of Infants Not Getting Common Childhood Vaccinations
More than a quarter of American infants in 2018 had not received common childhood vaccines that protect them from illnesses such as polio, tetanus, measles, mumps and chicken pox, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine reveals.

Researchers Find Breastfeeding Linked to Higher Neurocognitive Testing Scores
New research finds that children who were breastfed scored higher on neurocognitive tests. Researchers in the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) analyzed thousands of cognitive tests taken by nine and ten-year-olds whose mothers reported they were breastfed, and compared those results to scores of children who were not.

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Staying Safe in the Sun!
It's May, and the sun is out! As you live your best WIC wellness lifestyle and do your outdoor walks, runs, bikes, and swims, make sure you're also protecting yourself!
Mental Health
Although mental health services can be effective, significant barriers — including access to care, fear of the stigma associated with care, and lack of insurance — prevent many from seeking services. Research indicates that many children in need of mental health services don’t get treatment or suffer for years before being diagnosed. WIC Can Help families get the support they need. Better yet, WIC supports families in ways that can often prevent mental health problems from an early age.
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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