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Help for the Holidays
The holiday season can be a time of increased stress on families, whether it be additional tension in already-difficult living conditions; increasing anxiety about how to pay for necessities as well as some modest gifts; how to pay for additional childcare during winter break; or how to provide something as simple as a holiday meal. This month, WIC Can Help provides resources on programs that families can consider for additional help during these stressful times, so that the holiday season can be about spending quality time together.
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Move, A Lot!
New research involving over 120,000 patients, provides convincing data that being sedentary is a higher risk for death than heart disease, hypertension or smoking! The benefits increase for older adults and the research indicates higher upper limits of cardiovascular exercise are beneficial.
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It is an unusual juxtaposition with the wildfires butting up against the start of the holiday season. There is much to be thankful for and at the same time grieve. It is surreal, and unacceptable, to plan for the experiences of the last two years as a new normal. While Californians work to rebuild, so do others across the country struck by different disasters. As individuals and a society we have to commit to addressing climate change and all strategies to protect our people and planet. We are thankful for everyone who is stepping up to support the victims and the communities in California. We stand in awe at the strength and grit of those whose lives are impacted. Our condolences for the individuals and loved ones, lost in the fires. Everyday WIC staff play a key role in communities by the nature of their mission, but in emergencies staff responsibilities are magnified - keeping families fed and supported, often while functioning in emergency roles and while dealing with personal loss. CWA is collecting donations to support the impacted WIC agencies. Read below, how you or your organization can help!
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Midterm Elections' Impact on Public Health Webinar
Polls have shown that health care and health related issues were top of mind for voters running up to the midterm elections. Key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid were important issues in a number of campaigns throughout the country, with Medicaid expansion on the ballot in several states. Women's access to reproductive health services is also in question, and candidates in some races directly voiced support for efforts to exclude Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid reimbursement for family planning services. Now that the votes are in, what should we expect for these critical public health issues? Join The Network for Public Health Law for The Potential Impacts of the Midterm Elections on Public Health, a discussion of the midterm election results and their potential impact on health care, Medicaid, and reproductive rights.
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Window to Comment on Public Charge Rule is Shrinking!
Just under three weeks remain until the comment period for Public Charge closes on December 10, 2018. Your comments can be directly submitted to DHS here. Nearly 70,000 individuals have commented on this proposed change! The proposed rule would penalize immigrants if they access Medicaid, SNAP, or housing-assistance programs. The heightened risk to an individual's immigration status would continue to disincentivize eligible families from accessing any public benefit program, including WIC. Remember: Regulatory commenting is not lobbying. The federal government is actively soliciting your input to inform its decision-making. Need some help commenting? NWA has createdtemplate commentsas well as guidelines for concerned participants. There are also an abundance of resources from the Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition, as well as from the Food Research Action Center. Do you need some suggestions for how to comment if you work for WIC? Ask Sarah.
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Appropriations Clock is Ticking
Congress is on recess this week for the Thanksgiving holiday. When they return, they will be on a tight timeline to a try to avoid a partial government shutdown before the previously-passed continuing resolution expires on December 7. Congress will need to pass a measure to cover the appropriations bills that were not completed by the start of the fiscal year, including an Agriculture-FDA bill that will include WIC funding. If an agreement is not made on spending levels for any or all of these bills, there will need to be a continuing resolution to avoid a partial government shutdown. One of the biggest unknown factors in the negotiation is the president's insistence on funding for the southern border wall to be included in the Homeland Security appropriations bill.
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Support Needed for Fire Impacted CA WIC Agencies - #WICStrong
This has been a horrible fire season for our state, with great impact for our local agencies, including several WIC staff who have lost homes, are evacuated and also functioning as emergency service providers. CWA has received inquiries about how to help our colleagues. CWA is currently accepting donations that will go toward the purchase of gift cards for WIC staff who have lost homes. We will use your cash donations to purchase gift cards for basic goods, restaurant meals, and groceries and provide them to staff in need.
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WIC Capitol Visit Day: Education and More...
Although it was a challenge to secure appointments this year for Capitol Visit Day due to timing, it was nonetheless a successful day! The visits that WIC staff were able to attend went well, and in between we were able to enjoy words of wisdom from high-level legislative and state staff on health care, women's and children's issues, their own career paths, and education issues. If you or your staff were not able to connect with your local representatives, we strongly urge you to go visit them in their district offices and/or invite them for a WIC site visit. Agencies that didn't attend Capitol Visit Day can expect a packet in the mail with helpful materials for a district office or site visit!
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Fall Convening Success
It is always good when we come together to learn and work on issues. That was certainly the case for the Fall Convening. We learned a lot about the California WIC Card and WIC WISE. The additional educational sessions covered timely issues. The CWA education sessions addressing access to oral health care, workforce challenges, and horizontal integration are posted. Thanks everyone for the productive time together! ACTION: Please complete the evaluation and check here for the presentations.
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Spring Conference - Save the Date!
We are looking forward to Catching the Waves with you at the 27th Annual Conference and Trade Show, April 28-May 1, 2019. Registration will go live the first week of December. In the meantime, please think about who will be attending and if they and/or a team from your region would like to lead a Wellness Activity. This could be Salsa, Zumba, Yoga, core exercises, stretching, meditation, etc. Contact Jodi with ideas.
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CNC Scholarship Applications Open
Please let staff know that the California Nutrition Corps (CNC) Scholarship applications are posted. WIC employees also working toward a bachelors or advanced degree in nutrition, public health or related field, or their dietetic internship are invited to apply. Applications are due Jan. 15, 2019 and awards will be announced Mar. 15, 2019.
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WIC Leadership Academy 2018 AND 2019
The leadership class had a very productive day in Sacramento for their third retreat. They will meet for their final retreat on Jan. 29 at the CWA office. Applications for Leadership 2019 are now posted. Local agency directors and staff AND state staff are welcomed to apply. Take advantage of this opportunity to grow! Questions? Ask Lena.
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California Impacted by Fires, Smoke - Stay Safe!
As deadly fires burn in Northern and Southern California, millions of people outside the burn zones are exposed to the dangerous smoke, causing school closures and health problems, especially for sensitive groups. Wildfire smoke is dangerous because it contains fine particulates that can lodge deep into the lungs, which can cause or worsen respiratory issues, such as asthma. The particulate matter floating across much of Northern California in the past week has registered more than 18 times the recommended levels by the World Health Organization. Health experts agree that the best defense is to stay indoors. But many also suggest that if you must go outside for a prolonged period, it's best to wear the right kind of breathing masks - dust masks, surgical masks, and bandanas are ineffective against smoke. The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and the California Department of Public Health recommend "N95" respirators or "P100" masks. Bottom of FormOnce you find the right kind of mask, it's also important to wear it correctly, and dispose of it when the filter gets dirty. ACTION: Check your local air quality at www.airnow.gov.
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Loss of Your Home - What to Do
A destroyed home, evacuations, loss of a job, no community services and businesses, and the unthinkable loss of family and friends, are among the stresses facing our neighbors across California the last few years due to wildfires. Others in our country face similar loss due to various catastrophes. This resource, created by a survivor of the 2017 Tubbs fire, provides some guidance on getting support and tapping critical resources.
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New Exercise Guidelines
The new DHHS guidelines on exercise highlight more of the benefits of regular exercise, from reducing the risk of at least eight different cancers to helping people think more clearly. Previous guidelines recommended 10-minute bouts of exercise at the minimum. Now it's clear that even a little bit, such as taking the stairs instead of an escalator, can help improve health. The guidelines say that adults should move more and sit less, and include recommendations for strength training as well. They also include guidance for young children; Children aged 6-17 need at least an hour of exercise a day, including bone-strengthening exercise such as jumping rope, and toddlers and small children need to keep active throughout the day, getting a minimum of three hours of light, moderate, and intense exercise every day.
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New AAP Recommendations Against Spanking
The AAP has updated its policy on corporal punishment, emphasizing ways that pediatricians should encourage parents to seek alternatives to spanking. The policy statement updates a 1998 AAP clinical report titled, "Guidance for effective discipline," which suggested that "parents should be encouraged and assisted in developing methods other than spanking in response to undesired behaviors." In the updated policy statement, the authors noted that all forms of corporal punishment and yelling at or shaming children are minimally effective in the short term and not effective, and parents should use other alternatives to raise children. The updated policy statement notes that children who were spanked showed more aggressive behavior when they were older.
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Making WIC Certification Easier!
Join a small group of your WIC colleagues to share ideas and experiences with making WIC certification easier. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) and the Altarum Institute are hosting a series of virtual meetings (via video conference) for state and local WIC agencies to discuss strategies for modernizing and streamlining WIC certifications. Each session will focus on a specific topic and feature two brief presentations followed by discussion among attendees. These no-cost interactive meetings will provide an opportunity for state or local WIC staff who are implementing or actively considering a streamlining measure to brainstorm and troubleshoot with each other. Participants will use Zoom videoconferencing to join (using cameras on computer, tablet, or smart phone). Registration will be limited so everyone can participate in the discussion. For background information about streamlining WIC eligibility determinations, see
Modernizing and Streamlining WIC Eligibility Determination and Enrollment Processes
. Please consider registering for the following video calls:
- November 27 at 1 pm ET: Online Appointment Scheduling | Register
- December 3 at 3 ET: Electronic Documents | Register
- January 8, 2019, at 1 pm ET: Collaborating with Head Start | Register
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Survey on Breast Milk Donation
La Leche League USA, in partnership with Cohen Children's Medical Center, has launched a survey as part of a research study that hopes to identify what prevents women from donating breast milk. The survey will run through early December. Join the Facebook Event.
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November is National Diabetes Month!
The National Institutes of Health have published the "National Diabetes Month 2018 Toolkit" featuring resources related to this year's theme, Promoting Health After Gestational Diabetes. Resources can be used to raise awareness among women with a history of gestational diabetes about their lifelong risk for developing diabetes. The toolkit includes sample social media posts and graphics, a promotional flyer, and health information for the public and health professionals.
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My Birth Matters: New Resources for Pregnancy!
While C-sections can be important and lifesaving in some circumstances, they are also a major surgery and mean more chances for complications for the mom and baby. And, some hospitals are quicker to perform a C-section than others - even when they could have been avoided. Help educate pregnant women on this topic by showing any of the four videos listed on the My Birth Matters outreach page in your waiting rooms! Want to hang posters or add brochures to your resource table? You can find those in the Communications Toolkit on that same outreach page. Everything's free, available in English and Spanish - and the WIC waiting rooms in LA and Orange counties are already showing the videos! Please send a brief update to Beccah Rothschild at the California Health Care Foundation on how you're using them - and feel free to include pictures, too!
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Community Breastfeeding Program Implementation Guide
The National Association of County and City Health Officials has released a "Breastfeeding in the Community: Program Implementation Guide." This community-level breastfeeding Program Implementation Guide offers guidance and tools to help Local Health Departments (LHDs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) design, establish and implement peer and professional lactation support programs. It covers a broad range of practical information that will support communities to ensure evidence-informed practices for successful sustainable programs.
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 Resource on Early Nutrition and Brain Development
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