CWA Flash E-Newsletter - July 25, 2017
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Children With Special Needs
Across America, more than  one in five  families have at least one child with special health care needs, and  Early Intervention  is key.  WIC Can Help  families get critical services for their children with special health care needs.
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To Have a Good Morning, Have a Good Night!
We all think our day starts when we wake up. But what if the day really starts the evening before? Check out these tips for setting yourself up for a successful day by sticking to helpful evening habits.
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Policy Updates
Federal Funding Proposal: WIC Reduced But Adequate
A proposed funding level of $6.35B for WIC passed the Senate Approps Committee last week in the draft FY 2018 Agriculture Appropriations bill. This includes $80M for breastfeeding peer counselors, $13.6M for infrastructure, and a rescission of $800M of unspent funds for a net funding of $5.55B. Compared to the House bill, which proposed $6.15B with a $600 rescission, both bills propose the same net funding for WIC. With current projections for caseload, these levels are expected to meet the needs. The proposed funding of $80M for breastfeeding peer counselors is $20M above the House proposal. Other goods news is both bills propose level funding for the seasonal WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) which the President's budget zeroed out. Several steps remain in the budget process with actions needed in each house for a final bill, or inclusion of this in an Omnibus bill.
Healthcare Debate: Call NOW!
If you feel like you're suffering from whiplash or fatigue trying to follow the plan for healthcare, you're not alone - the Senate's plan for if and when to vote and on what seems to change hourly. Your voice has been effective and is needed at this hour! After failing to find the needed votes for its own healthcare bill as well as a plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act without immediate replacement, the Senate is expected to vote TODAY on the 'motion to proceed' to vote on the healthcare plan passed by the House  earlier this year or another bill, the skinny bill with fewer changes, and it remains unclear whether or not Senate amendments will be included. Also unclear is whether there are enough votes to pass ANY of the Senate's proposals on healthcare. The American Health Care Act narrowly passed by the House was predicted to leave 23 million uninsured and drastically cut Medicaid. The analyses of the Senate bill by the CBO and Kaiser Family Foundation found similar results when looking at the cuts to Medicaid. States could expect to cover $530 billion in health care costs in the decade 2020-29 as federal support would shrink. To California that would mean a loss of $31B in federal funds. To individuals including low-income folks, children and the elderly, their deductibles, premiums and cost sharing would increase easily past $10K annually and be more than some people's annual earnings. ACTION: Call your Senator and tell them to vote NO on the motion to proceed. (202) 224-3121.
Potential Family Leave Preemption Law
The California Work & Family Coalition is working with state and national partners to prepare for the introduction of a Congressional  preemption bill t hat could negatively impact California's state and local paid sick day laws. Congresswoman Mimi Walters (CA-45) has been working with corporate and HR groups on national legislation that would create a voluntary threshold for paid sick days or flexible schedules - any employer who meets this federal threshold would NO LONGER HAVE TO COMPLY with state and local paid sick days laws and possibly others as well. This legislation would set a damaging precedent and negatively impact the health and well-being of our families and communities. ACTION: Spread the word to your friends in  CA-45 . The legislation will be introduced soon and we need as many people in CA-45 as possible to let Rep. Walters' Office know that outside business groups must not negatively impact our communities and overturn the will of the people. As this legislation has not yet been introduced there is no link to it, but you can Contact Jenya  for more information.
USDA and CDC Leadership Positions Filling
Several leadership positions were filled by Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, with the naming of Brandon Lipps to Administrator of FNS and also Acting Deputy Under-Secretary, until Senate confirmation of a presidentially-nominated appointee. Maggie Lyons will be Chief of Staff and advisor to the Under-Secretary. Kailee Tkacz, will be policy advisor.
Dr. Jerome Adams, Indiana State Health Commissioner, was nominated by President Trump to be Surgeon General. Dr. Adams has been a leader for preventive health care, and also for addressing the opioid crisis.  Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald was appointed by HHS Secretary, Tom Price, to head the CDC. Dr. Fitzgerald, an OB/GYN, was the Georgia Health Commissioner.
State Bill Update
ARC 113 (Rubio) , CWA's co-sponsored resolution with the California Breastfeeding Coalition, to declare August "Breastfeeding Month" in the state of California and encourage Californians to work together to support breastfeeding,  has been introduced and is pending a vote by the legislature - resolutions do not need to pass through committees and be signed by the Governor. Other bills on CWA's Bill List continue to make their way through the legislature: SB 63 (Jackson) , which would expand family leave protections to more of California's workers, has passed through the Senate committees and is now working its way through the Assembly, AB 992 (Arrambula) , which would establish a voluntary baby wellness home visiting program through CalWORKS has passed through the Assembly committees and is now in the Senate. AB 15 (Maienschein) , a proposal to increase Denti-Cal reimbursement rates, was provided for in the budget . ACTION: For the full list of CWA-supported legislation, check here .

CWA News
Summer Webinars: Register Now
Why leave the office for valuable seminars when you can participate and learn right from your computer? Join us Thursdays at noon (Pacific Time) for relevant continuing education for public health professionals. CWA will host Breastfeeding-Friendly Health Centers: Success in California August 17 especially for CHC and WIC staff wanting to improve client care as well as staffing and finances related to breastfeeding support. With CA Breastfeeding Coalition and CDPH, we'll co-host California Infant Feeding Guide - What is New? August 24. Join us to learn about resources and best practices that help improve mother and infant care. Dietetics and lactation professionals participating live can earn CE units. ACTION: Get more information and register online for each webinar on our WIC Works Webinars page. Stay tuned for more webinars in September.
Fall Education Events: Registration is Open!
Join us October 2-4 in Sacramento for a variety of important and stimulating educational events. Monday presents a unique opportunity to meet with our state leaders and share about the vital services provided by WIC staff across California. With all the uncertainties, make this a high priority event! If you've never attended, we'll be there to guide you. State WIC will host critical meetings on Tuesday. And our CWA Education Day on Wednesday, Caring Partnerships: Leading WIC into the Future , is designed for WIC directors and managers. Part 1 will focus on Linking WIC to Local Food and Health Networks, featuring speakers from CA Food Bank Association, WIC local agencies, and community health centers plus time to discuss and strategize for more effective local partnerships. Part 2 will focus on Impactful Leadership through a Culture of Caring, featuring Rita Sever of Supervision Matters . ACTION: Register for all three events in one place. Visit our Fall Educational Events webpage and watch future Flash e-news for more info.
Our Top News Picks
Baby-Led Weaning is Safe, May Not Decrease Obesity Risk
Proponents of "baby-led weaning" have said that allowing babies to feed themselves promotes self-regulation of food intake and may curb childhood obesity. Critics have said that it increases the risk of choking and inadequate nutrition. A new study finds that allowing babies who have started eating solid food to feed themselves, rather than spoon-feeding them, did not result in either healthier growth or a reduced risk for being overweight, however, mothers of self-fed infants reported less fussiness and more enjoyment around food. Additionally, the study found no increased risk of underfeeding, anemia or choking.
Unexpected Changes in Energy Costs Put Families at Risk for Food Insecurity
A recent USDA study  explored the relationship between energy price shocks and food security, and found that unexpected price increases for gasoline, natural gas, and electricity caused an increase in the probability of a household becoming food insecure. The magnitude of the response was higher for low-income households compared to the average response for all households. Food-insecure households may skip meals, cut the size of meals, or compromise the nutritional quality of meals due to cost, and food insecurity increases the risk of developing diabetes, obesity, depression, anemia, and other health issues .
Lead Detected in Baby Food Samples
The  Environmental Defense Fund has evaluated data  collected by the FDA from 2003 to 2013 and found that about 20 percent of baby food samples contained detectable levels of lead. None of the baby food samples seemed to exceed the Food and Drug Administration's allowable levels of lead , but according to CDC guidelines , no level of lead is safe for children, and the FDA is in the process of reviewing its standards. It's not clear whether the lead detected in baby food is coming from soils or other sources. If lead is in the soil, it can be absorbed by crops growing in that soil, so lead "cannot simply be removed," according to an FDA fact sheet . A diet high in iron, calcium and vitamin C can limit the absorption of lead .
Diabetes: New Rates Report Ominous
A recent report by the CDC indicates that over 100 million American adults have diabetes or pre-diabetes. This is about 9% or 30 million Americans with diagnosed diabetes. Even more concerning is the 84 million individuals with pre-diabetes, which can lead to type 2 diabetes within 5 years, if not treated. Huge disparities are obvious, with prevalence basically 2 times the rate among Native Americans, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics, than among whites and Asians. The same trend was seen for adults with less than a high school diploma versus those with some college education. How does this translate to health costs? Medical costs run over 2 times as high for those with diabetes than those without. Check out your county data , on this interactive map, and note the huge swaths of high rates of diabetes across the country.

Resources
IBCLC Scholarship Opportunity
The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners has announced the launch of the new Emerging Leaders in Lactation scholarship program for future IBCLCs, with the aim to further equity and diversity in the field of lactation and increase access to the IBCLC credential. The financial assistance will cover the cost of the IBCLC exam itself and the costs associated with meeting the requirements to sit for the exam such as lactation and breastfeeding mentorship, access to educational resources, as well as leadership training, for up to $5,000 per candidate. The deadline to apply to be a member of the first class of Emerging Leaders Scholars is Friday, September 15.
New Smoking Cessation App
The California Smokers' Helpline is pleased to announce its new quit smoking mobile app for iPhone, No Butts. No Butts uses proven methods to help smokers quit including a personalized quit plan and information about effective quitting aids. The app also features other useful tools like a personal log of smoking triggers, motivational reminders, and a variety of quit smoking tips. This free app is currently available only for iPhones but will also be available for Android phones in the future. The app can be downloaded here .
Chronic Disease Indicator Data from CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have announced the release of its Chronic Disease Indicators (CDI) data . The CDIs provide public health agencies with access to the most relevant, up-to-date, and uniformly-defined chronic disease surveillance data at the state level. The Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Weight Status category contains several breastfeeding indicators, including infants breastfed at six months, formula supplementation within the first two days of life, mean mPinc score, live births occurring at Baby-Friendly designated facilities, and support of onsite breastfeeding in state child care regulations.

California WIC Association
3120 Freeboard Dr., Suite 101, West Sacramento, CA 95691

Phone: 916-572-0700; Fax: 916-572-0760
www.calwic.org