The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is seeking public comments on a proposed rule that updates food packages for WIC enrollees to better meet the dietary needs of breastfeeding/chestfeeding women and people, children, and people of different cultures and with alternative dietary needs. The WIC food packages are an important supplemental food resource for WIC enrollees, providing food and beverages tailored to their relative life stage to promote healthy development.
Despite their importance, the WIC food packages have not been updated since 2014. The proposed rule –FNS-2022-007: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children: Revisions in the WIC Food Packages – updates the packages based on recommendations from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) and the FNS Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, as well as input from WIC enrollees and community and state organizations and advocates.
Food insecurity continues to be pervasive in Colorado. Between 2017 and 2019, 16% of Colorado kids on average lived in households that were food-insecure at some point during the year, according to our 2022 KIDS COUNT report. Approximately 85,531 Coloradans are enrolled in the WIC program. The importance of the WIC program will only grow in the coming year as enhanced SNAP benefits end abruptly in March.
The proposed rule provides strengthened support for lactating people and their babies by creating a separate, enhanced food package to align with their higher caloric needs. The rule would also update the food packages for WIC enrollees to provide double the amount of fruits and vegetables for children and four times the amount for breastfeeding/chestfeeding women and people. The proposed rule would also allow for additional flexibility, variety, and choice for WIC enrollees and agencies to better accommodate people with special dietary needs or personal or cultural food preferences. Research shows the benefits of breastfeeding/chestfeeding, fruits and vegetables, and culturally competent food choices for children and families, and these revisions will better ensure that WIC enrollees can meet their food needs in equitable ways.
The Children’s Campaign enthusiastically supports this proposed rule and submitted comments to the Federal Register in support. You can read our comments on our website, and you can submit your own comments on the Federal Register’s proposed rule submission page. Comments are due by Feb. 21. The National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA) also drafted a letter in support of the proposed rule, and are urging organizations to sign on in support before Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. MT. You can sign your organization on to this letter through this Google form.
