WIC Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children

 

To provide low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five who are determined to be at nutritional risk with supplemental nutritious foods, nutrition education, and referrals to health and social services at no cost. WIC also promotes and supports breastfeeding as the feeding method of choice for infants, provides substance abuse education and promotes immunization and other aspects of healthy living. For Formula Grants, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) makes funds available to participating State health agencies and Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) that, in turn, distribute the funds to participating local agencies. State and local agencies use WIC funds to pay the costs of specified supplemental foods provided to WIC participants, and to pay for specified nutrition services and administration (NSA) costs, including the cost of nutrition assessments, blood tests for anemia, nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, and health care referrals. For Project Grants, FNS makes funding available to carry out WIC outreach, innovation, and program modernization efforts to increase participation and redemption of benefits. Projects may focus on reducing disparities in program delivery, improving WIC service delivery, improving the WIC shopping experience, and increasing awareness of the Programs benefits and services.

Active 10.557 Food and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture A - Formula Grants; B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2017 No Project Grants were issued in FY 2017.
Fiscal Year 2019 In FY 2019, a monthly average of 1,515,587 pregnant, post-partum and breastfeeding low-income women, 1,610,391 infants, and 3,274,202 children who were determined to be at nutritional risk received supplemental nutritious foods, nutrition education, and referrals to health and social services at no cost.
Fiscal Year 2020 In FY 2020, a monthly average of 1,446,146 pregnant, post-partum and breastfeeding low-income women, 1,551,034 infants, and 3,250,234 children who were determined to be at nutritional risk received supplemental nutritious foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health and social services at no cost. The Families First Coronavirus Act provided funding in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. FNS made these funds available to all 89 WIC State agencies to pay for supplemental foods and nutrition services and administration costs in accordance with legislative and regulatory requirements.
Fiscal Year 2021 In FY 2021, a monthly average of 1,379,161 pregnant, post-partum and breastfeeding low-income women, 1,464,732 infants, and 3,400,098 children who were determined to be at nutritional risk received supplemental nutritious foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health and social services at no cost. The Families First Coronavirus Act (FFCRA) provided funding in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. FNS made these funds available to all 89 WIC State agencies to pay for supplemental foods and nutrition services and administration costs in accordance with legislative and regulatory requirements. In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) authorized FNS to temporarily increase the cash-value benefit for fruit and vegetable purchases for participants receiving certain food packages to an amount less than or equal to $35 per month. Funds were allocated to 87 of 89 WIC State agencies. WIC Online Ordering Grant (cooperative agreement) - 4 WIC Online Ordering sub-grant projects were funded in FY 2021 ranging from $267,703 to $932,280.
Fiscal Year 2022 In FY 2022, a monthly average of 1,400,390 pregnant, post-partum and breastfeeding low-income women, 1,428,837 infants, and 3,430,916 children who were determined to be at nutritional risk received supplemental nutritious foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health and social services at no cost. The annual appropriations bill authorized and provided funding to FNS to extend the temporary increase in the WIC Cash-Value Benefit (CVB) for women and children for fruit and vegetable purchases through the end of FY 2022. Funds were allocated to all 89 WIC State agencies to provide the NASEM (inflated) recommended monthly CVV/B amounts of $24 for child participants, $43 for pregnant and postpartum women participants, and $47 for fully and partially breastfeeding women participants. WIC Online Ordering Grant (cooperative agreement): WIC Online Ordering grant funds are provided to the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition (GSCN) to work with 4 sub-grantees (8 WIC State agencies total), and their partners, to test, implement, and evaluate online ordering and transaction projects. 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 a 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. In FY 2022, the following grant announcement were released and awarded before the end of the fiscal year: • Community Innovation and Outreach (CIAO): FNS entered into a cooperative agreement with the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) a grant to test the effectiveness of community outreach strategies in increasing WIC participation, especially among underserved populations within a community. A total of 36 subgrantee projects were awarded. • WIC Shopping Experience Improvement Grant: In FY 2022, FNS funded over $10 million in non-competitive grants to 21 WIC State agencies to complete projects aimed at improving the WIC shopping experience. The primary goal of funded projects is to improve the in-store shopping experience, as evidenced by increasing the redemption of WIC benefits, improving customer satisfaction, and/or improving participant access to vendors, including for underserved communities and individuals. • WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program Benefit Delivery Modernization Grant: The primary goal of the grant opportunity was to provide funding to WIC FMNP State agencies, including Indian Tribal Organizations (ITO) and territories, to implement an available and tested electronic, mobile WIC FMNP Solution (Solution), which will (1) modernize benefit delivery for WIC FMNP State agencies, participants, farmers and farmers’ markets; and (2) increase benefit utilization at farmers’ markets. The BDM grant opportunity was open throughout FY 2022 with a total three (3) rounds of funding. In FY 2022, over $1.9 million was awarded to 11 State agencies. • Technology for a Better WIC Experience: Communications, Data, and Metrics Grant: FNS funded non-competitive grants to WIC State agencies for planning and implementation efforts around improving the WIC participant experience through the use of key technology enhancements. Projects aimed to improve the WIC participant experience, as evidenced by increasing participant enrollment and retention while improving equity. In FY 2022, FNS awarded over $23 million in awards to 66 State agencies.
Fiscal Year 2023 The annual appropriations bill authorized and provided funding to FNS to extend the temporary increase in the WIC Cash-Value Benefit (CVB) for women and children for fruit and vegetable purchases through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2023. Funds were allocated to all 89 WIC State agencies to provide the NASEM (inflated) recommended monthly CVB amounts of $25 for child participants, $44 for pregnant and postpartum women participants, and $49 for fully and partially breastfeeding women participants. WIC Modernization Grants: In FY 2023, FNS awarded up to $100 million in additional non-competitive grants to WIC State agencies using ARPA funds. FY 2023 WIC Modernization Grants will support planning and implementation projects focused on enhancements that improve the WIC participant experience, as evidenced by enhancing the WIC shopping experience, increasing participant enrollment, reducing unnecessary administrative burden for both participants and administrators, including through data matching to streamline enrollment, and retaining eligible participants while improving equity. WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program e-Solution Grants: In FY 2023, FNS awarded over $5.5 million in non-competitive grants to 21 State agencies. Similar to the FY 2022 Benefit Delivery Modernization Grants, the e-Solution grants are for projects aimed at modernizing benefit delivery via procurement of web-based mobile benefit delivery software. WIC Offline to Online EBT Grants: As part of FNS’s modernization efforts, in FY 2023 FNS funded the transition from offline EBT to online EBT for 7 WIC State agencies. The grant funding supports major modifications to State agency Management Information Systems (MIS) to support the ability to process online benefits or will support a transfer of a WIC MIS already supporting online processing. WIC Online Shopping Grant: In FY 2023, FNS awarded additional funding to GSCN using ARPA funds to support the work started under the WIC Online Ordering Grant and to expand online shopping in WIC nationwide. Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended, Section 17, 42 U.S.C. 1786.
Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, Public Law 111-296, reauthorized Child Nutrition Programs and amended the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Public Law 117-328 Current fiscal year) American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Public Law 117-2 A local agency is eligible to apply to deliver locally the services of the WIC Program, provided that: (1) it serves a population of low-income women, infants, and children at nutritional risk; and (2) it is a public or private nonprofit health or human service agency. All local agencies must apply through the responsible State, Indian Tribal Organization or U.S. Territory agency. Project grants may be available to a WIC State agency, businesses, small businesses, nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, institutions of higher education and for profit organizations other than small businesses, public and State controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. All applications must be submitted via the Grants.gov portal. Pregnant women, breastfeeding women up to one year postpartum, and non-breastfeeding women up to six months postpartum, infants, and children up to 5 years of age are eligible if: (1) they are individually determined by a competent professional to be in need of the special supplemental foods supplied by the Program because of nutritional risk; and (2) meet an income standard, or receive or have certain family members that receive benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, Medicaid or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Programs. They must also reside in the State in which benefits are received. Program improvements resulting from WIC Innovation Grants benefit all WIC and WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program participants, some WIC vendors, and some WIC farmers and farmers' markets. Individuals are certified as meeting an income standard, or as participating in certain other means-tested Federal programs. Certification regarding nutritional need for supplemental foods is determined by local level professionals. As of April 1999, all State agencies were using uniform criteria to determine nutritional risk. The State agency designated official responsible for ensuring that the WIC Program is operated in accordance with Program requirements must sign the State Plan and Federal-State Agreement pursuant to Program regulations. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this Program. Preapplication coordination is required. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance if the State has selected the program for review. Project Grants are posted to Grants.gov and applicants must follow the procedures noted in the Request For Application 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Local agencies and retailers must apply to the State agency in writing. Individual participants apply for WIC benefits at an approved local agency. State agencies must submit required documentation to USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Project Grants are posted to Grants.gov and applicants must follow the procedures noted in the Request For Application. Formula Grants are awarded by the Food and Nutrition Service to State agencies in accordance with funding formulas set forth in program legislation and regulations. State agencies distribute funds to local agencies to support program operations. Project Grants are competitively awarded and subject to available funds. WIC Innovation Grants will be awarded once proposed projects have been approved based on statutory scope, and deemed necessary, reasonable, and allocable. August 15, 2023 A State agency designated official is required to submit a State plan for the following fiscal year to USDA Food and Nutrition Service no later than August 15 of the current fiscal year. Only substantive changes to the currently approved State plan must be submitted. The application period for WIC Project Grants closure date is specified in the Request For Applications posted to Grants.gov A State agency designated official is required to submit a State plan for the following fiscal year to USDA Food and Nutrition Service no later than August 15 of the current fiscal year. Only substantive changes to the currently approved State plan must be submitted. The application period for WIC Project Grants closure date is specified in the Request For Applications posted to Grants.gov Approval determination for the WIC Program Formula Grants is made within 30 days of submission of a completed plan or amendment. Approval determination for the WIC Program Project Grants is made within 30 days of the application closure date. Approval determination for WIC Innovation Grants is made approximately 30 to 90 days from date of application submission. For the WIC Program, local agency, or food vendor appeals: The State agency provides administrative review procedures to any local agency or food vendor adversely affected by certain State or local agency actions. The adverse action may be postponed until a hearing decision is reached. Participant appeals: The State agency provides a hearing procedure for any individual that receives a State or local agency action that results in a claim for repayment of the cash value of improperly issued benefits, denial of participation, or disqualification from the WIC The WIC Program is authorized through September 30, 2023; it presently operates under the authority of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended. The criteria for evaluation of a Project Grant are included in the Request For Application posted to Grants.gov. WIC Innovation Project grants and cooperative agreements are competitive and non-competitive grants. Applications are submitted via Grants.gov or through FNS Regional Offices for review and approval. Supplemental Foods, nutrition services, program administration Performance Reports: Formula grants require Financial Management Reviews and Management Evaluations. In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503 Full and complete records concerning program operations including financial operations, food delivery systems, food instrument issuance and redemption, equipment purchases and inventory, certification, nutrition education, civil rights and fair hearing procedures. Such records must be retained for a period of 3 years after the date of submission of the final report for the fiscal year to which the records pertain, except that if audit findings have not been resolved, the records shall be retained beyond the three year period as long as required for the resolution of the issues raised by the audit. Statutory Formula: Title 7 Chapter 2 Part 246 Subpart E Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended, Section 17(h)(2)(A), 42 U.S.C. 1786.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Formula grants for food and NSA are available from 1-2 years. Project grants are available from 2-5 years, depending on project timeline. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Federal Letter of Credit. WIC Innovation Grant funds are available from 1-5 years, depending on project timeline. Obligations must occur within the specified award period. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Quarterly. https://www.fns.usda.gov/fns-regional-offices Mary Rose Conroy
1230 Braddock Place
Alexandria, VA 22314 US
maryrose.conroy@usda.gov
Phone: 7033052746 http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic. 12-3510-0-1-605 (Formula Grants) FY 22$6,855,458,974.00; FY 23 est $6,965,941,933.00; FY 24 est $6,800,000,000.00; FY 21$5,880,295,092.00; FY 20$5,804,653,545.00; FY 19$5,480,000,000.00; FY 18$6,060,000,000.00; FY 17$6,512,698,000.00; - Food and NSA Grants(Formula Grants) FY 22$0.00; FY 23 est $0.00; FY 24 FY 21$500,000,000.00; FY 20$0.00; - Supplemental Food and NSA Grants Funding from Families First Coronavirus Act Funding(Formula Grants) FY 22$0.00; FY 23 est $0.00; FY 24 FY 21$490,000,000.00; FY 20$0.00; - Increase Cash Value Benefit Food Grants from American Rescue Plan Act Funding.(Project Grants) FY 22$390,000,000.00; FY 23 est $0.00; FY 24 FY 21$0.00; FY 20$0.00; - Outreach, Innovation and Modernization Project Grants from American Rescue Plan Act Funding (individual grant info below)(Cooperative Agreements) FY 22$4,130,134.00; FY 23 est $29,034,687.00; FY 24 FY 21$4,130,134.00; - WIC Online Ordering Grants For fiscal year (FY) 2022, FNS approved the operation of the WIC Program in 89 State agencies. This figure includes 50 States, the District of Columbia, 33 Indian Tribal Organizations, and five U.S. Territories (Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). During FY 2022, an average of 6,260,143 women, infants and children received WIC benefits every month. Although food package costs varied widely among State agencies, the monthly average food package cost for FY 2022 was approximately $47.75 per person. 7 CFR Part 246; "WIC State Plan Guidance" is available at no charge from FNS. Not applicable.