FNS Documents & Resources

FNS is communicating the following guidance to remind WIC state agencies and WIC authorized vendors of our ongoing commitment to ensure the safety of infant formula purchased in the WIC program, and to prevent stolen infant formula from being purchased with WIC benefits.

This policy memorandum transmits the WIC Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustments for 2023.

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.

This policy memorandum transmits the 2023-24 Income Eligibility Guidelines for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

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.

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.

When conducting technology projects, WIC state agencies must comply with the Advance Planning Document (APD) requirements consistent with Section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act (P.L. 89-642, as amended), 7 CFR Part 246, and Federal procurement requirements at 2 CFR Part 200, Part 400, and Part 416.

FNS has determined WIC state agencies may need the flexibility of providing non-contract formula through the end of February. It is USDA’s expectation that these extensions of flexibilities for non-contract formulas will be the final extensions, barring a significant change in the status of formula supply and availability.

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