To
provide, low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women,
infants, and children to age five determined to be at nutritional
risk, at no cost, supplemental nutritious foods, nutrition education,
and referrals to health care providers.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Formula Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Grants
are made to State health departments or comparable agencies, Indian
tribes, bands, or intertribal councils, or groups recognized by
the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, or
the Indian Health Service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. These agencies distribute funds to participating local
public or nonprofit private health or welfare agencies. Funds are
expended to pay for supplemental foods, nutrition education and
health care referrals for participants, as well as specified administrative
costs, including certification services. State agencies are provided
Federal funds according to legislative and regulatory formulas.
Only local agencies qualifying under State agency applications with
formal agreements may operate WIC programs.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: A local agency is eligible to apply
to locally deliver the services of the WIC Program provided: 1)
it serves a population of low-income women, infants, and children
at nutritional risk; and 2) it is a public or private nonprofit
health or human service agency. All local agencies must apply through
the responsible State or U.S. Territory agency.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: Pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum
women, infants, and children up to 5 years of age are eligible
if: 1) they are individually determined by a competent professional
to be in need of the special supplemental foods supplied by the
program because of nutritional risk; and 2) meet an income standard,
or receive or have certain family members that receive benefits
under the Food Stamp, Medicaid or Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families Program. They must also reside in the State in which
benefits are received.
Credentials/Documentation:
Individuals are certified as meeting an income standard, or as
participating in certain other means-tested Federal programs.
Certification regarding nutritional need for supplemental foods
is determined by local level professionals. As of April 1999,
all State agencies were using uniform criteria to determine nutrition
risk. Costs are determined in accordance with OMB Circular No.
A-87 for State and local governments. The State designated official
responsible for ensuring that the program is operated in accordance
with program requirements must sign the State plan and Federal-State
agreement pursuant to program regulations.
Pre-application
Coordination: Application is made through sub-
mission of a "State Plan of Program Operation and Administration,"
as required by legislation. This program is eligible for coverage
under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs."
An applicant should consult the office or official designated as
the single point of contact in his or her State for more information
on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for
assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. The
standard application forms as furnished by FNS and required by OMB
Circular No. A-102, as implemented by 7 CFR part 3016, must be used
for this program by State and local agencies.
Application
Procedure: Local agencies must apply to the
State agency in writing. Individual participants apply for WIC
benefits at an approved local agency.
Award
Procedure: Funds are awarded by the Department
on the basis of funding formulas to State agencies for distribution
to approved local agencies subject to available funds.
Deadlines:
A State plan for the next fiscal year is required by August 15.
Only substantive changes to the currently approved State plan
must be submitted.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: Approval determination
is made within 30 days of submission of a completed plan or amendment.
Appeals:
Local agency or food vendor appeals: The State agency provides
a hearing appeal procedure for a food vendor or local agency adversely
affected by certain State or local agency actions. The adverse
action may be postponed until a hearing decision is reached. Participant
appeals: The State agency provides a hearing appeal procedure
for any individual that receives a State or local agency action
that results in a claim for repayment of the cash value of improperly
issued benefits, denial of participation, or disqualification
from the WIC Program.
Renewals:
The program is authorized through September 30, 2003; it presently
operates under the authority of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966,
as amended.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: Grants are allocated
on the basis of formulas determined by the Department of Agriculture
which allocate funds for food benefits, and nutrition services and
administration costs. No matching funds are required, but some States
contribute nonfederal funds in support of a larger WIC Program in
their State.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: Grants are
released for the fiscal year using an electronic transfer system.
State agencies may withdraw funds only as needed.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Monthly report of participation, value of food or food instruments
issued, operating expenses, and funds withdrawn from the Federal
letter of credit.
Audits:
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133,
"Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations,"
State and local governments and Nonprofit organizations that expend
a total amount of Federal awards equal to or in excess of $300,000
in any fiscal year shall have either a single audit or (in certain
cases stated in the Circular) a program-specific audit made for
such fiscal year. Audit rules provided by OMB Circular A-133 must
be applied for audits of grantee and subgrantee fiscal years that
began on or after July 1, 1996. Authority to conduct such audits
less frequently than annually is limited to: 1) State or local
governments required by constitution or statute, in effect on
January 1, 1987, to undergo audits less frequently than annually;
and 2) nonprofit organizations that had biennial audits for all
biennial periods ending between July 1, 1992 and January 1, 1995.
If a biennial audit is authorized, the audit must cover the two
year period.
Records:
Full and complete records concerning program operations including
financial operations, food delivery systems, food instrument issuance
and redemption, equipment purchases and inventory, certification,
nutrition education, civil rights and fair hearing procedures.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 12-3510-0-1-605.
Obligations:
(Grants for food) FY 01 $2,973,003,100; FY 02 est $3,158,543,685;
and FY 03 est $3,336,065,000. (Grants for Nutrition Services and
Administration) FY 01 $1,135,724,613; FY 02 est $1,173,868,400;
and FY 03 est $1,242,884,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
$56,167 to $718,922,206. Average: $46,854,375 in fiscal
year 2001 for the 88 State agencies.
For fiscal year 2001, FNS approved the operation of the WIC Program
in 88 State agencies. This figure includes 50 States, 33 Indian
agencies, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa
and the District of Columbia. As of September 2001, an average of
approximately 7,196,766 women, infants and children received WIC
benefits every month. Although food package costs varied widely
among the States, the monthly average food package cost as of September
2001, was approximately $32.94 per person. For fiscal year 2001,
the WIC Program realized over $1.4 billion in savings generated
by infant formula rebates, which allowed over 2.0 million additional
participants to be served with the WIC grant. As part of its efforts
to revitalize quality nutrition services, FNS has taken several
significant steps to increase training and technical assistance
opportunities and facilitate communication among its partners. First,
in collaboration with the National Agricultural Library-Food and
Nutrition Information Center (FNIC), FNS established the WIC Works
Resource System, an on-line system for WIC educators to talk, share
successes, receive training on counseling strategies, find educational
materials and tools for assessment, and review current research.
Second, FNS in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human
Service (DHHS) provided all State Nutrition Coordinators with a
copy of Bright Futures in Practice: Nutrition implementation guide
as well as a training in service on this resource. This excellent
resource provides comprehensive nutrition information in a unique
framework. The Bright Futures approach has the potential to revitalize
the way that nutrition services can be offered to WIC participants.
FNS also sponsored a break-out session at the annual meeting of
the National Association of WIC Directors (NAWD) in May 2001 highlighting
State agency initiatives to revitalize quality nutrition services.
In addition in October 2001 FNS in conjunction with NAWD, issued
WIC Nutrition Services Standards to all WIC State agencies the standards
describe quality nutrition standards of practice for State and local
WIC programs.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
7 CFR Part 246; "WIC State Plan Guidance" is available at no charge
from FNS.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: See Food and Nutrition Service
regional offices listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Headquarters
Office: Supplemental Food Programs Division,
Food and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture, Alexandria,
VA 22302. Contact: Patricia Daniels, Director. Telephone: (703)
305-2746. Use the same number for FTS.
