FNS Documents & Resources

This report responds to a Congressional mandate for the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to establish a long-range plan for the development and implementation of state agency Information Systems (IS) in the WIC program. In the development of this plan, FNS reviewed state agency system capabilities and consulted with the National WIC Association as well as systems experts. The WIC 5-Year Technology Plan included in this Report to Congress outlines the Agency’s goals, objectives, and strategies to address the current and future needs of WIC systems.

The Food Plans represent a nutritious diet at four different cost levels. The nutritional bases of the Food Plans are the 1997-2005 Dietary Reference Intakes, 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and 2005 MyPyramid food intake recommendations. In addition to cost, differences among plans are in specific foods and quantities of foods. Another basis of the Food Plans is that all meals and snacks are prepared at home. For specific foods and quantities of foods in the Food Plans, see Thrifty Food Plan, 2006 (2007) and The Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans, 2007 (2007). All four Food Plans are based on 2001-02 data and updated to current dollars by using the Consumer Price Index for specific food items.

This memorandum is intended to provide clarification on the applicability of two DHHS final regulations to the WIC program. These regulations include requirements for: (1) the establishment of standard formats for certain administrative and financial transactions, and (2) the privacy of individually identifiable health information.

The purpose of this policy memorandum is to assure that children served by WIC are screened for immunization status and, if needed, referred for immunizations.

Since the publication of the “WIC Bloodwork Requirements” final rule in December 1999, several questions have arisen that require clarification. Therefore, the purpose of this policy memorandum is to clarify these questions as well as provide an update on the status of all policy memoranda previously issued that address bloodwork requirements.

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide an update on the Department of Defense  actions to implement a program like WIC overseas, the impact it has on the WIC program, and the actions required by WIC state agencies.

The purpose of this policy memorandum is to advise that the Medicaid Program will be the primary payor for WIC-eligible exempt infant formulas and medical foods issued to WIC participants who are also Medicaid beneficiaries.

This memorandum clarifies the Child and Adult Care Food Program termination process and provides guidance on steps that can be taken if additional information becomes available subsequent to the termination of an institution.

As you are aware, the fiscal year 2002 Department of Agriculture appropriations legislation (PL 107-76), enacted on Nov. 28, 2001, extended the free and reduced price provision for for-profit centers in the CACFP through Sept. 30, 2002.

This final policy memorandum provides clarification on several questions raised during the state plan guidance session at the NAFMNP meeting in October 2000.