USDA’s approach to tackling food and nutrition insecurity emphasizes equity to ensure our efforts serve all populations.
Through ARPA, USDA received waiver authority to support WIC and FMNP outreach, innovation, and modernization. Waivers are currently available to support WIC online shopping and ARPA funded projects.
At this time, only certain states are operating with online purchasing capabilities. FNS is working with other states interested in expanding online purchasing.
Since FY 2022, FNS has awarded over $9 million in grants to 37 State agencies to support WIC FMNP eSolutions.
FNS hosted a webinar to provide state agencies and food banks with information about how TEFAP can support cultural and religious practices around food, particularly those serving kosher and halal observant communities. The webinar featured panelists from state agencies and food banks who have successfully implemented processes to serve these specific communities.
The "I Speak" resource document is available to help identify the primary language of non-English speakers.
FNS hosted a second webinar to provide program stakeholders with additional information on supporting kosher observant communities through TEFAP.
USDA FNS tagline translations.
As part of the WIC innovation and modernization efforts to be funded under ARPA, FNS is supporting planning and implementation projects focused on enhancements that improve the WIC participant experience, as evidenced by enhancing the WIC shopping experience, increasing participant enrollment, reducing unnecessary administrative burden for both participants and administrators, including through data matching to streamline enrollment, and retaining eligible participants while improving equity
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provided USDA with $390 million, available through FY 2024, to carry out outreach, innovation, and program modernization efforts to increase participation and redemption of benefits for both the WIC program and the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program.