Full funding for Women, Infants & Children program
March 12, 2023
Last Friday, Congress passed a 2024 federal budget bill with full funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). This means eligible families won’t have to worry about waitlists or being turned away. (Here’s more about what was at stake in Colorado and across the nation.)
We would like to thank every individual and partner organization within our network that shared the importance of WIC with your legislators, community, and others. Your efforts helped demonstrate a groundswell of support for investing in the health and well-being of infants, young children, and new and expecting parents.
Take a moment to thank Colorado’s Congressional delegation who fought to protect WIC!
WIC provides food assistance, along with other vital health and nutrition supports, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as for children under the age of five – some of the most important years for brain development and healthy growth. Since the first clinic opened 50 years ago, the national program has become a lifeline during the prenatal, birth, early childhood, and postpartum periods for many families in the U.S. It’s geared towards low-income families who may struggle to access adequate nutrition and healthcare due to high costs of living, low wages, inflation, and other life storms.
Colorado WIC, which is available in every county, serves more than 96,000 families and provides over $20 million in fruit and vegetable benefits. Thanks to the program and now its full funding, more children and adults can lead healthy, active lives and reach their full potential.
While a crisis was averted this year, it’s concerning that a historically bipartisan success was even up for debate. That’s why we must turn our attention to the future – and how policymakers can ensure WIC continues to create bright futures for infants, young children, and new and expecting parents. Read more about where advocates should focus their attention now from Georgia Machell, interim president and CEO of the National WIC Association, in Agri-Pluse.
If you’re interested in engaging more around our collective efforts to support WIC, please consider joining our Federal Policy Committee or contact Greta Allen, the Blueprint’s Policy Director.