MISSOURI WIC AGENCIES EARN NATIONAL BREASTFEEDING AWARDS

DENVER, Colo.   – Eight Missouri agencies of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) are being recognized this week with the WIC Breastfeeding Awards of Excellence.

In observance of 2021 National Breastfeeding Week August 1-7, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced winners around the country.  USDA is awarding 101 awards – 90 Gold, 10 Premiere, and one Elite.

In Missouri, eight agencies earned Gold awards: Affinia Healthcare in St Louis, and the health departments of St Joseph, Columbia/Boone County, Laclede County, Randolph County, Saline County, Washington County, and Webster County.  They are being recognized for their innovations in encouraging women to start and continue breastfeeding and for their partnerships within their communities.

“USDA established the award program to recognize local WIC agencies that have provided exemplary breastfeeding promotion and support to WIC moms,” said Cheryl Kennedy, FNS Mountain Plains regional administrator. "The intent is to provide models to help other WIC clinics strengthen their breastfeeding programs to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration rates nationwide.” 

WIC is regarded as one of the leading public health programs because of its many strengths:

· Local, state, and Federal staff advocate for breastfeeding rights; provide training and guidance; collect data; and collaborate with other agencies, departments, and organizations, so that every American family receives the individualized support they want.

· WIC ensures at-risk families are supported from the time a pregnant woman enrolls in the program, until that child turns five.

· Local agency staff and participants build relationships that allow societal inequities to be addressed and equalized.

· WIC is also one of the most powerful public health interventions available to reduce stark racial disparities in maternal and child health outcomes.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 included a historic investment in WIC and the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program, which USDA will use to improve program delivery and increase participation among eligible women and children.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is currently developing a plan for investing the $390 million allocated in the Rescue Plan through FY 2024, incorporating data-driven strategies to increase program reach.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children - better known as WIC - serves to safeguard the health of low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating including breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to health care. More information about WIC can be found at www.fns.usda.gov/WIC.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) leverages its 15 nutrition assistance programs to ensure that children, low-income individuals, and families have opportunities for a better future through equitable access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food, while building a more resilient food system. Under the leadership of Secretary Tom Vilsack, FNS is fighting to end food and nutrition insecurity for all through programs such as SNAP, school meals, and WIC. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. To learn more, visit www.fns.usda.gov