One key tool to provide nutrition, education, support and resources to pregnant women and families in the extended postpartum period is WIC.
WIC is a vital nutrition program for families with young children, but we are not reaching nearly enough eligible participants. Research demonstrates WIC’s effectiveness at improving health and nutritional outcomes of both women and children.
Community Solutions and our partners at Children’s Defense Fund and the Ohio Association of Foodbanks have been working over the last several years to push Ohio toward moving its WIC program online and are very excited to hear the Ohio Department of Health is closer than ever to this goal. We appreciate Representatives White and Humphrey including recommendations to improve Ohio’s WIC program and including the report back to the General Assembly on the progress.
WIC enrollment reduces infant mortality, especially for Black participants.
A recent study looked at the rates of infant mortality in babies whose mothers participate in WIC during pregnancy and found that the infant mortality rate was 5.2 deaths per 1,000 live births among those who had received WIC benefits, compared to 8.2 deaths among those who did not — cutting infant mortality by more than a third.
New WIC enrollment criteria
- Requires the Department of Health (ODH) to investigate and determine the services and tools available at the federal level and implemented in other states that could be used in Ohio to increase access to and use of the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
- Requires ODH to submit a report to the General Assembly detailing the results of its investigation and establishing a plan to increase WIC access.
- Requires ODH to submit quarterly reports to the General Assembly for two years detailing progress on implementing its plan to increase WIC access.
We are hopeful that the push in House Bill 7 to move Ohio online, take full advantage of federally-funded opportunities to modernize WIC and fully reach all eligible families in Ohio will yield positive results.
