FNS Documents & Resources

This policy memorandum provides guidance to improve outreach and streamline certification in WIC. It outlines current flexibilities and new policy for certification documentation options and aims to reduce WIC staff and participant burden.

This policy memorandum provides guidance on data sharing activities that support targeted outreach and streamlined certification processes aimed at increasing WIC participation and retention. It expresses USDA FNS support of data sharing, provides an overview of data sharing relevant to WIC, summarizes WIC program guidance on sharing confidential WIC participant data, and lays the groundwork for future guidance and resources to help WIC state agencies expand outreach and streamline the
certification process.

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will discontinue the requirement for vendors to use high security seals to secure USDA Foods deliveries as of July 1, 2023. 

This letter extends the expiration date for certain flexibilities for WIC state agencies following the Abbott Recall and infant formula shortage. 

This letter extends the expiration date for certain flexibilities for WIC state agencies following the Abbott Recall and infant formula shortage. 

This letter is in response to correspondence from WIC state agencies requesting flexibility with regard to the maximum monthly allowance (MMA) requirements in WIC as a result of the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 Abbott recall of certain powder infant formula on the nationwide supply chain leading to both periodic location and product-based WIC infant formula shortages.

This letter provides WIC state agencies flexibility related to WIC federal requirements. USDA is collaborating across a number of government agencies to ensure that WIC participants are able to obtain safe formula.

As part of the WIC innovation and modernization efforts to be funded under ARPA, FNS will fund non-competitive grants to WIC State agencies to complete projects aimed at improving the WIC shopping experience, which is a well-documented pain point for WIC participants. The primary goal of funded projects must be to improve the shopping experience, as evidenced by increasing the redemption of WIC benefits, improving customer satisfaction, and/or improving participant access to vendors, including for underserved communities and individuals.

This letter is in response to correspondence from WIC state agencies requesting program flexibility from WIC federal requirements as a result of the impact of the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic and the 2022 Abbott recall of certain powder infant formula and exempt infant formula on the nationwide supply chain leading to both periodic location- and product-based WIC infant formula and exempt infant formula shortages.

This letter is in response to correspondence from WIC state agencies using offline Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) technology or paper food instruments, and requesting program flexibility from the WIC program federal requirements as a result of the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 Abbott recall of certain powder infant formula, exempt infant formula, and WIC-eligible nutritionals on the nationwide supply chain leading to both periodic location- and product-based WIC infant formula and exempt infant formula shortages.