Each year WIC announces the Loving Support Award of Excellence program, formerly known as the Loving Support Award of Excellence.
The USDA, FDA, and other federal partners continue to work diligently to protect the health infants who are fed using infant formula.
This is a new information collection for WIC and WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program which contains the reporting burden associated with requesting waivers authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the American Baby Formula Act of 2022.
This information collection is mandated by section 231 of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Section 231 of the HHFKA requires USDA to implement a program to recognize exemplary breastfeeding support practices at WIC local agencies and clinics.
This letter provides WIC state agencies the opportunity to opt into waivers to modernize WIC through building or enhancing remote services.
On Nov. 8, 2022, FNS published WIC Policy Memorandum #2023-1 Abbott Infant Formula Waiver Expiration Schedule which extended active waivers to Jan. 31, 2023, or 60 days after the end of the Presidentially-declared COVID-19 major disaster declaration in the affected area, whichever is sooner. However, FNS recognizes that WIC state agencies may need additional flexibility to ensure uninterrupted access to infant formula for WIC families even as WIC state agencies transition back to normal operations. The intent of this policy memorandum is to formally describe the timeline for this transition, as previously described in the Dec. 19, 2022 letter to state agencies.
Letter to WIC state agencies on unwinding and impacts of infant formula shortage.
This letter extends the expiration date for certain flexibilities for WIC state agencies following the Abbott Recall and infant formula shortage.
Abbott recently announced it will continue providing a rebate on competitive infant formulas redeemed prior to Nov. 30, 2022. Since your WIC state agency holds an infant formula rebate contract with Mead Johnson-Reckitt or Nestle Gerber, this information is shared for your awareness.
This letter extends the expiration date for certain flexibilities for WIC state agencies following the Abbott Recall and infant formula shortage.