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Status of Recent and Ongoing Studies
Funded by WIC
The Indiana Department of Health in conjunction with FNS is
conducting a demonstration project for identification and enrollment
of children in the Medicaid Program and the Children’s Health
Insurance Program (CHIP). The Indiana Department of Health will
conduct enrollment in Hoosier Healthwise, a Medicaid/CHIP Program, for approximately two years in
about 20 WIC clinics. Each site will receive up to $10,000 each
fiscal year for the project. This demonstration project will
evaluate the feasibility and costs of using WIC clinics to identify
and enroll eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP.
The demonstration project studies the:
- Number of children enrolled in Medicaid/CHIP
- Income levels of families enrolled
- Cost of enrollment activities
- Effect of enrollment of activities on WIC clinic operations
and caseloads
- Other factors that are not yet determined by FNS
Start Date: April, 2001
Interim Report: Will be available in the near future.
Completion Date: September 2004
Name of Contractor: Abt Associates Inc.
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This study has conducted multiple interview and/or questionnaires
with WIC clients and is examining that information in the context of
their local agencies’ operating policies. The study will examine
participant characteristics not available through WIC management
information systems. It will also provide information on program
participant incomes compared to local agency income eligibility
standards and will determine the magnitude of income misreporting.
Start Date: September 1996
Completion Date: Fall 2001
Name of Contractor: Abt Associates Inc.
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The Adolescent WIC Participants project describes WIC’s
benefits and services through the perception of adolescent WIC
participants. This project is in light of the fact that pregnant
teens and/or adolescent mothers may have different needs than other
WIC participants.
Start Date: September 1995
Completion Date: Summer 2001
Name of Contractor: Research Triangle Institute
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GAP is an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order
contract that enables FNS to issue task orders in response to policy
relevant analytic needs that arise during the course of the
contract. GAP tasks may include analysis of extant data,
meta-analysis, small data collections, expert reviews of policy and
methodology. The GAP project uses extant data from various sources
including WIC Program and Participant Characteristics (WIC-PC)
studies; the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey (NMIHS);
the National Health and Nutrition Survey – III (NHANES-III); the
Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP); and the Current
Population Survey (CPS). This contract spans three years over which
task orders may be placed and completed. The maximum amount that may
be spent under this contract is $3,000,000.
FNS has funded the following projects:
Eligible Estimation Issue paper (Mathematica Policy
Research Inc.): This task produced a paper that summarized the
approaches to estimate persons eligible for and likely to
participate in the WIC program. Key data and analytical issues
related to WIC eligible estimation were identified for further
review. Areas of expertise relevant to evaluating USDA’s
methodology were also identified. The results of this review were
presented in a format suitable for use in a panel discussion.
Congress and OMB have been briefed on the findings of this report.
Participant Characteristics Monograph Series (Abt
Associates Inc.): Monographs will be produced on two topics: Native
Americans and overweight children. Each monograph will include a
profile of the sociodemographic characteristics, risk profiles and
health care usage patterns of the relevant group of participants.
These reports will be based primarily on data available in the
biennial participant characteristics datasets. The reports will be
suitable for both technical and non-technical audiences and are
intended for wide public distribution, including publication in
professional journals.
WIC and Children (Abt Associates Inc.): The final report
presents detailed analyses of the experience of children
participating in WIC. Extant data from the following sources was
used: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-III),
the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) and the
Comprehensive Child Development Project (CCDP2). These analyses
examine demographic and income characteristics, nutritional and
health status, dietary intake information, health care utilization,
home and family characteristics, the dynamics of participation and
program participation. The final report has been released.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/oane/MENU/Published/WIC/FILES/profile_wic_children.htm
http://www.fns.usda.gov/oane/MENU/Published/WIC/FILES/profile.pdf
Start Date:August 1998
Completion Date:August 2001
Name of Contractors: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., Abt.
Associates Inc. & Rand Corporation
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The Association of State and Territorial Public Health Nutrition
Directors (ASTPHND) in cooperation with FNS, is conducting a survey
of public health nutritionists to monitor trends in education and
training, work experience, areas of practice and training needs.
ASFPHD has conducted similar surveys periodically beginning in 1985.
Overall, data was collected on nearly 11,000 public health
nutritionists, 90 percent of whom work in WIC. The final report will
assist FNS in determining the extent to which current and future
workforces have the necessary requirements to carry out the WIC
Program.
Start Date: September 1998
Completion Date: Fall 2001
Name of Contractor: ASFPHD
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The National Academy of Sciences has reviewed and critiqued the
current WIC eligibles estimation methodology, conducted literature
reviews in relevant fields, and is in the process of preparing a
report summarizing the results of their review and offered
preliminary recommendations. Depending on the results and
recommendations from this review (Phase I), USDA may choose to
exercise an option for a second phase. The second phase would
include arriving at consensus on one or more alternatives for USDA
policy consideration, testing the alternatives, analyzing the
results, preparing the report and disseminating the findings.
Start Date: September 2000
Completion Date: Summer 2001
Name of Contractor: Committee on National Statistics, National
Academy of Sciences
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The Fit WIC Projects were three-year projects to look at ways that WIC
policies, practices and operations might be changed to make the program more
responsive to the problem of childhood obesity. Participating states
considered the impact of issues such as staff training, case management, food
policies, nutrition education, promotion of physical activity and other areas on
the program's effectiveness in addressing childhood obesity. Grants were
awarded to California, Kentucky, Vermont, Virginia, and the Inter Tribal Council
of Arizona. The five grantees worked collaboratively with FNS, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, and each other. California was the
lead state for the project and will facilitate data collection and report
writing for the project.
The first year of the project involved a needs assessment of the environment
and procedures within participating WIC clinics and how those environments and
procedures could be utilized to address the problem of childhood obesity.
Based on the results of the baseline assessment each state developed an action
plan that was implemented and refined within participating WIC clinics during
the next two years of the project. As part of the project, grantees will
develop an implementation guide that will be applicable to the diverse
populations served by WIC and be useful to the variety of WIC clinic settings
and models. The Fit WIC implementation manual is available on the WIC
Works website: http://www.nal.usda.gov/wicworks/Sharing_Center/statedev_FIT.html
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