Bipartisan Funding Deal Waiting on a Vote

Over the weekend, congressional leadership released bill language for the first 6 appropriations bills, including agriculture, which includes a more than $1 billion increase for WIC, totaling just over $7 billion in program funding. The Senate and House plan to vote on the legislation ahead of this week’s deadline. The proposed WIC funding would allow WIC to continue serving all eligible participants and avoid wait lists, as well as maintain the current CVB levels. A proposed rider for a 5-state pilot restricting SNAP to “nutritionally-dense” foods was not included in the bill. You can read NWA’s full statement on the bill here.

California CPSP Audit Raises Assessment, Oversight Concerns

A recent audit of California's Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program (CPSP) found that neither DHCS nor and CDPH had collected the data necessary for assessing whether Medi‑Cal participants were using CPSP, and that neither department conducted adequate oversight of the program or of the program’s providers. The report also found that neither department has acted to significantly improve the perinatal program.

Looking Forward: WIC Celebrates 50 Years- Conference May 6-10



We are excited to share the agenda for the conference and invite you to check it out. We are honored to open the conference with USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Deputy Undersecretary Dean who will speak on the Biden-Harris Administration’s vision for the future of WIC. Join us May 6-10, and find the agenda, event info, trade show and registration here.

Lots of powerful and impactful work takes place with ideas generated and implemented in WIC local agencies. Sharing about those efforts is important and helpful to other agencies in California and across the nation. CWA invites any local agency in CA or across the nation to share your local projects at the annual conference. Questions? Ask Lena.

Reminder - CWA is Hiring!



If you desire to work with dedicated and passionate WIC staff and partners across the state and nation, we have the opportunity for you!

We are hiring for our Executive Director position with a starting date of July 1. Karen Farley will remain at CWA focusing on CalAIM efforts.

As part of our diversity plan, we are offering the positions with the option for remote work, but require full time California residency. We welcome applicants with strong experience in WIC, nutrition, lactation, birth equity and public health.

You can find the position description here. We welcome your inquiries and hope you share this information with your staff. If you have any questions, contact Karen or Lena.

Food costs relative to income are higher than they have been at any point since 1991. In 2022, 11.3% of consumers' disposable income was spent on food.

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Despite 97% of children in California having health insurance, California ranks at the bottom in multiple reports for access to health care providers. Infants and children not keeping up on well child visits, immunizations, developmental and lead screenings. 

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Compared to their formula-fed counterparts, extremely preterm infants fed donated human milk had half the rate of necrotizing enterocolitis, a common life-threatening condition of the intestines, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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Researchers using a novel method of measuring long-term wildfire smoke exposure have found that Indigenous communities in California are exposed to disproportionate amounts of dangerous particulate matter — sometimes far beyond what has been previously known.

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