Month: March 2021

We at PHFE WIC are heartbroken by the troubling rise in anti-Asian sentiments and violence, and we stand in solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

To our Asian participants, coworkers, community—you are cherished and welcome at WIC. We are committed to supporting and uplifting families of all races, cultures and backgrounds. There is no room for xenophobia, racism, or hate here.

Click here to read the message from our program partners, Heluna Health Board of Directors, and their commitment to health equity and condemning racism.

For resources on how to aid the AAPI community on fighting hate and structural racism, visit AdvancingJustice-LA.org

 

The CinnaMoms African American Breastfeeding and Motherhood Support Program is an accessible and welcoming service to parents that goes beyond PHFE WIC core services.  CinnaMoms offers culturally relevant information facilitated by a qualified team of African American Certified Lactation Educators, Lactation Consultants, Nutritionists, and Breastfeeding Peer Counselors.

In partnership with Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Hills, CinnaMoms invites you to join a virtual breastfeeding support group held every first and third Thursday of the month, beginning January 2021.  The overarching goal is to increase virtual breastfeeding support for African American women.  Throughout the year, the virtual support groups will feature guest appearances from Lactation Consultants throughout the region.

For more details visit https://www.cinnamoms.org/events

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, also called the “COVID-19 Stimulus Package”, is a $1.9 trillion economic rescue package to accelerate United States’ recovery from the destructive economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill was signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021.

What is in the COVID-19 Stimulus Package?

• Direct Payments: $1,400 per individual, and an additional $1400 for each dependent claimed on your taxes, $2,800 for joint filers
• Unemployment: Extends pandemic unemployment programs through September 6th
• State and Local Funding: Provides $360 billion to help state, local, tribal and territorial governments combat the effects of COVID-19
• Education: Provides $122.8 billion for grants to states to support local educational agencies in addressing learning loss
• Child Care: Provides $24 billion for grants for child care providers
• Child Tax Credit: Increases the maximum credit to $3,600 for children under 6 years old and $3,000 for other children up to 18 years old

What does this mean for WIC families?

The rescue plan provides funding for Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which includes enhancing our WIC benefits for four months and additional funding for our outreach, innovation, and program modernization.

A BIG increase to fruit and vegetable benefit is coming soon! WIC participants currently receive $9-11 for fresh fruits and vegetables per individual. This is expected to temporarily increase to $35 per individual starting in the June 1, 2021, lasting through September 2021.

Be sure to file your taxes and claim your child tax credits!

Click here to learn more about the 4 tax credits for parents and resources for tax filing.

Could my tax refund or my stimulus check disqualify me from the WIC program?

No! Tax refunds and stimulus checks are not included when your income is assessed for WIC program eligibility. Receiving a stimulus check or tax refunds will not cause you to become disqualified from the WIC program.

Exciting Changes Coming Soon to WIC

The funding for the American Rescue Plan will allow us to enhance WIC services to better support our WIC families.

• Simplified application process
  • Allowing families to screen for eligibility or complete the first phase of certification online.
• Improved referral networking
  • Funding for local partnerships between WIC clinics and physicians.
  • Federal level partnerships with Medicaid, SNAP, and the Indian Health Service to improve cross-enrollment.
• Modern shopping experiences
  • Options for online ordering, online payments, and home delivery.
  • Integrated transactions across WIC CVB, WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and SNAP benefits.

The Wise Investment in our Children Act (WIC Act) was reintroduced in both the House and the Senate on Thursday, March 18th. It is sponsored by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), and Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Jennifer González-Colón (R-PR), Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Kim Schrier (D-WA), and Don Young (R-AK).

The WIC Act is critical legislation that will allow WIC to further improve maternal and child health outcomes in the United States by increasing the program’s accessibility to women and children. The National WIC Association (NWA) estimates that approximately 600,000 children and nearly one million women could receive extended nutrition support and provide 1.65 million families with administrative relief.

The WIC Act identifies the following three common-sense steps to strengthen access to the WIC program:

• Extend child eligibility to age six or the beginning of kindergarten to help ensure there are no nutritional gaps before all children begin school.

• Extend postpartum eligibility to two years to improve maternal health outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and prevent maternal mortality.

• Extend infant certification periods to two years to streamlines services to reach more children.

These steps are necessary to improve the outcomes that are obtained through higher WIC participation and prepare families for future success and healthy development.

We need national congressional support to pass the WIC Act! Show your support by sharing and retweeting these posts on social media. Be sure to use the hashtag #WICAct!