FNS Documents & Resources

Attached is the Interim Guidance on WIC Vendor Cost Containment. This interim guidance is intended to assist state agencies in implementing the Vendor Cost Containment Interim Rule published in the Federal Register on Nov. 29, 2005.

The VENA Guidance is intended to guide WIC state agencies in developing policies and procedures related to all aspects of nutrition assessment.

This policy memorandum updates the guidance provided in Final WIC Policy Memorandum #2006-4, regarding the implementation of the WIC Vendor Cost Containment Interim Rule, published in the Federal Register on Nov. 29, 2005.

This policy memorandum supplements the guidance provided to state agencies on Jan. 4, 2006, regarding the significance of the Temporary Restraining Order issued on Dec. 29, 2005, by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, for the implementation of the WIC Vendor Cost Containment Interim Rule, published in the Federal Register on Nov. 29, 2005.

The purpose of this policy memorandum is to clarify that women who breastfeed infants that they did not give birth to ("nonbirth mothers"), may be certified to participate in the WIC program as breastfeeding women at state option.

The attached policy memorandum clarifies the requirements WIC agencies must meet to spend federal WIC grant funds on a dietetic supervised practice program or other out-of-service training program for WIC staff and eligible in-kind staff. WIC agencies that incurred WIC-allowable training costs.

PL 103-448 requires coordination between the WIC program and state Medicaid programs that use coordinated or managed care providers under contract or under waiver authority as permitted under the Social Security Act. 

This memorandum provides policy clarification about WIC allowable costs for activities related to immunization promotion in the WIC program.

In compliance with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Department will not approve future IFBs or contracts that include provisions that erroneously restrict competition for WIC infant formula rebates.

This policy memorandum is simply a clarification of general WIC program confidentiality principals delineated in  the Program Regulations and FCS Instruction 800-1 with special emphasis on provisions which affect immunization promotion activities.