Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins strongly encourages WIC state agencies to familiarize themselves with the Guidelines and consider how the key recommendations can be incorporated into program operations to promote healthy outcomes and healthy families.
WIC is not designed to be a disaster assistance program, and is, therefore, not considered a first response option for disaster survivors. WIC policies allow state agencies flexibility in program design and administration to support continuation of benefits to participants during times of natural or other disasters. WIC state agencies are encouraged to work with state and local emergency services offices, as well as FEMA, to assist participants during a disaster.
This guidance contains information to help WIC state agencies plan for meeting the needs of WIC participants and potential, newly-eligible WIC applicants prior to and during a disaster response. It can also be used to plan for continued WIC operations during emergencies or other situations of distress. The information is designed to assist headquarters and regional office staff, as well as WIC state and local agency staff in their development of an executable WIC disaster plan
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide updated guidance on the child nutrition program flexibilities available during unanticipated school closures. Schools may face unanticipated closures due to natural disasters, unscheduled major building repairs, court orders relating to school safety or other issues, labor-management disputes, or, when approved by the state agency, a similar cause.
In the event of a Presidential Disaster Declaration, we can procure and provide an emergency supply of infant formula and food to supplement a state’s or FEMA's disaster feeding efforts.
Questions and Answers on HINI Influenza in the following areas: general, certification and issuance of food instruments, and allowable costs.
This document informs the public about a change in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans that affects the proposed rule "Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs'' issued by the Department of Agriculture and published in the Federal Register on Jan. 13, 2011.
This interim rule revises regulations governing the WIC food packages to align the WIC food packages with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and current infant feeding practice guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics, better promote and support the establishment of successful long-term breastfeeding, provide WIC participants with a wider variety of food, and provide WIC state agencies with greater flexibility in prescribing food packages to accommodate participants with cultural food preferences.
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance to WIC state agencies in planning, preparing for and responding to the possibility of a human pandemic.
This policy memorandum outlines the requirements for the revised WIC Advance Planning Document process and provides additional guidance to state agencies that are interested in the transfer of a SAM system.