Month: April 2021

In celebration of Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17th) we hosted a virtual support circle sponsored by Kaiser Permanente on April 15th.

Our CinnaMoms staff and other community partners like Watts Health WIC, Northeast Valley WIC, and Public Health Alliance discussed the importance of postpartum visits. Also the signs of postpartum health scares and what to do when they occur, and celebrating Black Mother Joy.

During the discussion of celebrating Black Mother Joy, our very own staff Bethany and Ericka recited an original poem to uplift our participants called, “A Gift”. In celebration of #BlackJoy, we launched an Instagram Campaign. Using #CinnaMoms4Life for participants to post a picture that defines their joy.

To bring more attention to Black Maternal Health Week, the White House also released a statement addressing the Black Maternal Health Crisis. This press-release expounded on the initial steps that the Biden-Harris Administration will take through policies aimed for racial and health equity that will improve Black Maternal Health.

Here at PHFE WIC we are proud to be part of the national effort on ending this public health crisis. With the additional welcomed support from our Executive Branch of Government, it will end.

#BlackMaternalHealthWeek

Celebrating #WomensHistoryMonth for the month of March our parent agency Heluna Health highlighted some wonderful women that have created change in public health, and will continue to move agendas forward!

Click here to read the article:

In Honor of Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17^th), join us as we celebrate the joy of Black motherhood. We will let our voices be heard; HEAR Us. We gather to demand quality care to keep our families healthy and thriving. Since 2015, CinnaMoms has been dedicated to creating spaces where breastfeeding is welcomed, improving maternal and infant health outcomes, and mental health awareness amongst our Black families at PHFE WIC. 

CinnaMoms continues to advocate for Black families in a virtual environment via Zoom, every first and third Thursday of each month. We have Sister Chats to discuss hot topics related to breastfeeding, health, family, parenting and celebrating our Blackness. Other topics discussed are self-care, nutrition, mental health, advocacy, and much more. To celebrate the greatness of our village, we end each support circle with a Dance Party! We do this because #BlackMamasMatter, #BlackBabiesMatter, and #BlackLivesMatter.

Visit our website www.cinnamoms.org or follow us on social media @cinnamoms_ to check out our upcoming support circles, announcements, and events!

April 5-11 is National Public Health Week!

This past year has shown us how important public health is to all of us. WIC plays a critical role in public health by supporting, nourishing, and uplifting our community’s parents and young children to set our nation’s families up with better health and healthy habits for life.

WIC’s Impact on Public Health

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected women and families with young children. PHFE WIC saw a 24% increase in WIC program participation between February 2020 and January 2021. This translates to tens of thousands of infants and young children connected to no-cost healthy foods and more community resources each month.

WIC participants have healthier birth outcomes. The nutrition education, healthy foods, referrals, and support from WIC during pregnancy has a direct and well-documented impact on pregnant parents and babies.

Babies of WIC participants have higher average birth weights, lower incidence of low and very low birth weight, lower rates of prematurity, and lower rates of infant mortality.

Birthing parents who participated in WIC during pregnancy have lower rates of preeclampsia, and lower rates of excessive gestational weight gain.

Children who participate in WIC are more likely to be up-to-date on their immunizations, are more likely to have access to health care and medical home, have lower rates of anemia, show improved cognitive development and academic achievement, and exhibit lower rates of obesity.

WIC helps parents reach their breastfeeding goals. Breastfeeding rates of WIC participants have increased by 43% since 2002.

Nutrition education from WIC positively affects eating habits. The National WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2 showed that 70% of WIC caregivers reported that they changed their feeding practices because of something that they learned at WIC. Parents who participated in the study also reported that the nutrition education, information and advice they received from WIC is as important to them as the food.

WIC is a wise investment. A 2019 study by Niangono, et al. showed that every $1 spent on WIC during pregnancy resulted in mean savings of $2.48 ($1.24-$6.83).

The deadline to file your taxes has been extended to  Monday, May 17, 2021!

Free File Income Tax Resources

Free tax filing assistance is available through the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program for people who qualify.  Check out these free tax prep resources and see if you qualify here.

4 Tax Credits for Parents

1. Child Tax Credit

Updates to the current Child Tax Credit (CTC) allow families to receive a $3,000 annual benefit per child, ages 6 to 17, and $3,600 per child under 6.  The payments are temporary and expected to start in July through December 2021.  In the past, families with low income did not receive the full benefits.  Now, you don’t have to be employed to receive CTC.  Additional information about the Child Tax Credit, visit IRS.gov.  Click here to see if your child qualifies for the Child Tax Credit.

2. Federal Earned Income Tax Credit

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a federal tax credit for working people who have earned a low-to-moderate income and must have a Social Security number.  If you qualify, you may see a reduced tax bill or a bigger refund.  Click here to see if you qualify.

3. California Earned Income Tax Credit

If you made $30,000 or less last year, you may qualify for the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC).  This credit could help reduce your tax bill or increase your refund, and Social Security number is not needed.  If you are eligible for CalEITC and have a child under the age of 6, you may also qualify for the Young Child Tax Credit.

4. Young Child Tax Credit

If you qualify for CalEITC and have a child under the age of 6 as of the end of the tax year, you may also qualify for the Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) and receive up to $1,000 through this credit.

Note: Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) holders only qualify for the CalEITC and the state YCTC, not the federal EITC.