Now is the Time to Advocate for WIC!



Recent analysis indicates that the WIC program will require increased funding for the upcoming fiscal year due to unexpectedly higher levels of participation and ongoing elevated food costs. The House's funding proposal, which was presented and then withdrawn due to lack of support, would not have supplied WIC with the necessary resources to accommodate the expected number of recipients, potentially resulting in the program resorting to waitlists for the first time in nearly thirty years.

Continuous public outreach from the WIC community will play a pivotal role in equipping lawmakers with the knowledge and resources necessary to champion the cause of WIC when funding negotiations recommence in September. You can contact your member of Congress to urge full funding for WIC, ask Sarah for support in inviting your member for a visit, and share your WIC story now!

California faces a significant health care crossroads as the Medi-Cal redetermination process resumes after the end of COVID-19 waivers. The DHCS published an interactive dashboard earlier this month with demographic data on applications, enrollments, and redeterminations. June 2023 data reveals that about 81% of those up for redetermination of eligibility returned renewal packets, while 21% were disenrolled. California's efforts to ensure that as many eligible individuals as possible can get and keep health coverage have included expanding coverage and aiding transitions to other health coverage. Medi-Cal expansion for 700,000-plus individuals, regardless of immigration status, is set for January.

CWA is proud to be a part of the California Work and Family Coalition, and this week is a week of advocacy on a handful of California bills to increase access to paid family leave and sick leave. The Coalition has scheduled dozens of visits with members of the legislature to champion SB 616 (Gonzalez): Paid Sick and Safe Days, AB 518 (Wicks): Paid Family Leave for Chosen Family, AB 524 (Wicks): Family Caregiver Anti-Discrimination Act, and AB 575 (Papan): Paid Family Leave Improvements. Now is a great time to contact your California state Senators and Assemblymembers to voice your support for these initiatives!

Joyous & Equitable Leader Workshops



We are excited to continue our Joyous & Equitable Leader work with Joyous Part II! Dr. Melissa Franklin is returning to get into the nitty gritty of program design, data, and human resources with a joyous and equitable frame, emphasizing mental health, psychological safety, maternal mortality, and more in a series of educational sessions. Find information on our website and contact Lena with questions.

Submit Your WIC Watch Story!

The WIC Watch is a bi-annual CWA publication where we share achievements, events, collaborations, updates, stories of exceptional staff members and projects from our local California WIC agencies and community partners. The submission deadline for the Fall issue of the WIC Watch is coming up on September 7th! Please send submissions to Sarah!

A new study by the Benefits Data Trust found that one year of SNAP participation reduces health care costs by 16 percent and pharmacy costs by 21 percent. 

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Heat wave exposure in the final weeks of pregnancy was associated with preterm birth, especially for pregnant women in rural regions who had exposure to daytime-only heat waves, according to a recent study.

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Data from a recent survey reveals that Gen Z workers see child care as the most important benefit from employers, even above health insurance.



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Participation in WIC program grew in the 2022 fiscal year, the first rise over a year since 2010, as reported by the US Department of Agriculture. Monthly participation averaged 6.26 million in 2022, up from 6.24 million in 2021.



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