Information Collection: WIC Program Regulations-Reporting and Record-Keeping Burden

This collection is a revision of a currently approved information collection in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) for the reporting and record-keeping burdens associated with the WIC Program regulations.

The purpose of WIC is to provide supplemental foods, nutrition education, and health care referrals to low income, nutritionally at-risk pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five. Currently, WIC operates through state health departments in 50 states, 33 Indian Tribal Organizations, American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The Federal regulations governing the WIC Program (7 CFR part 246) require that certain program-related information be collected and that full and complete records concerning WIC operations are maintained. The information reporting and record-keeping burdens are necessary to ensure appropriate and efficient management of the WIC program.

The reporting and record-keeping burdens covered by this information collection include requirements that involve the certification of WIC participants; the nutrition education that is provided to participants; the authorization, training and monitoring of vendors; and the collection of vendor pricing information in order to comply with the Federal regulations regarding WIC cost containment. State Plans are the principal source of information about how each state agency operates its WIC Program. Information collected from participants and local agencies is collected through state-developed forms or Management Information Systems.

The information collected is used by the Department of Agriculture to manage, plan, evaluate, make decisions, and report on WIC program operations. This information collection is requesting a revision in the burden hours due to adjustments that primarily reflect expected changes in the number of WIC participants; WIC authorized vendors; and WIC state and local agencies. The revisions decreased the approved reporting burden by 317,028 hours and decreased the total approved record-keeping burden by 69,358 hours.