10.578: WIC Grants To States (WGS)

10.578

Active

Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) [USDA]

Aug. 10, 2022

Aug. 10, 2022

To assist WIC State agencies, through grants and cooperative agreements, in making improvements and/or enhancements to the delivery of program benefits and services to participants. These grants and cooperative agreements include the following: 1. WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Grants (discretionary) are provided to WIC State agencies to implement or maintain effective breastfeeding peer counselor programs. Combining peer counseling with the on-going breastfeeding promotion and support efforts in WIC agencies has the potential to significantly impact breastfeeding rates among WIC participants. The Food and Nutrition Service’s long-range vision is to institutionalize peer counseling as a core service in WIC. A portion of these funds may be used to award breastfeeding performance bonuses. These incentives build upon WIC’s longstanding efforts to promote and support breastfeeding and are intended to recognize and award State agencies that have demonstrated successful breastfeeding promotion and support efforts. 2. WIC Infrastructure Grants (discretionary) are provided to WIC State agencies for infrastructure projects that support national and regional priorities to improve the delivery of program benefits and services to participants. 3. WIC Special Project Innovation Grants (WSPI), formerly known as the WIC Special Project Grants, as awarded, will establish an academic and/or non-profit organization to award sub-grants to WIC State and local agencies as they develop, implement, and evaluate new or innovative projects to meet the changing needs of WIC participants. The guiding principles of the sub-grants are: build on and improve FNS’ understanding of the diverse personal experiences, perceptions, and attitudes of those eligible for WIC services; and allow the Program to refine and enhance service delivery and customer service based on the understanding of the participant experience. 4. WIC Implementation of Breastfeeding Support Campaign Project to provide technical support for the implementation and evaluation of the updated USDA National Breastfeeding Promotion Campaign WIC Breastfeeding Support, Learn Together. Grow Together. State agencies can use funds to implement and evaluate the updated Campaign to increase the knowledge of and to promote behavior change about breastfeeding among WIC staff and participants. 5. WIC Telehealth Innovations Project to supplement the nutrition education and breastfeeding support offered in the WIC clinic, and to decrease barriers to access to WIC services, particularly in rural communities, and other populations facing barriers to accessing support. State agencies can use funds to support a variety of telehealth interventions, including but not limited to the use of telehealth tools provided by WIC staff as well as clinical services and technologies provided by third-party vendors. 6. Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Participant Research Innovation Laboratory for Enhancing WIC Services. To support local effort to develop interactive tools, technical resources and innovative solutions that will improve customer service in WIC clinics through the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Participant Research Innovation Laboratory for Enhancing WIC Services. JHU will select up to five WIC local agencies as sub-grantees for this research through national competition. 7. WIC Innovation Grants. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 included funds to carry out outreach, innovation, and program modernization, including appropriate waivers and flexibility, to increase participation and redemption of benefits. The Food and Nutrition Service will improve health equity by positioning WIC as critical component of maternal and child health care services by supporting projects that focus on the following goals: (1) Connect more eligible people to WIC; (2) Modernize the participant experience by leveraging technology solutions; and (3) Streamline benefit delivery and services. 8. WIC Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) and Management Information System (MIS) Grants are provided to WIC State agencies for the implementation of WIC EBT systems and/or to transfer modern/viable MIS. These grants include: (1) WIC EBT Implementation (non-competitive) Grants to support EBT planning or implementation projects through the Advanced Planning Document (APD) process; (2) WIC State Agency Model (SAM) Amendments (non-competitive) Grants to support WIC State agencies in the SAM Users Group; (3) WIC SAM Transfers Grants (non-competitive) to complete planning activities and have an approved Alternatives Analysis document that justifies a SAM as their choice of system transfer; (4) WIC Management Information Systems (MIS) Implementation (non-competitive) Grants to implement a transfer MIS or are upgrading or enhancing their current MIS; (5) WIC SAM Product Management Office (PMO) (non-competitive) Grants for the support and management of the SAM change control process, including prioritization of enhancements, User Group governance, and maintenance and operation of the State agency MIS core code.

B - Cooperative Agreements

State agencies that administer the WIC Program are eligible to apply for WIC Grant to States funds. States may apply individually or as a coalition of States for WIC technology funds. States may apply individually for WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling, Special Project, Innovation, and Infrastructure grants.

WIC participants will be the ultimate beneficiary in that improved technology will allow for more efficient and effective clinic operations. Additionally, the WIC Program is moving towards the issuance of benefits through electronic benefit transfer. This will enhance their shopping experience and allow for greater flexibility in benefit delivery. Pregnant and breastfeeding women participating in the WIC Program are encouraged to initiate and sustain breastfeeding by peer counselors funded by Breastfeeding Peer Counseling grants. Program improvements resulting from Infrastructure Grants benefit all WIC participants. Program improvements resulting from WIC Special Project Grants benefit all WIC participants. Program improvements resulting from WIC Innovation Grants benefit all WIC and WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition participants.

https://sam.gov/fal/1fe0a52599bd4847879515b3d2dfa727/view