The upcoming White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health will be held on September 28 in Washington, DC. The event will be broadcast live, allowing for virtual participation from communities across the country. To learn more about how to participate in the Conference, visit the White House website here and watch the video from NWA here.

Last week the California legislature wrapped up their session, leaving Governor Newsom until September 30th to sign or veto hundreds of bills. Among the bills headed to the Governor's desk are several supported by CWA, among them: SB 951 (Durazo), which would increase wage replacement rates for low-income Californians who take paid family leave, AB 1930 (Arambula), which would extend Medi-Cal's CPSP services, and AB 2300 (Kalra), which would exempt parents of infants from CalWORKS work requirements. You can find CWA's entire bill list here. 

Dr. Ramos has been a leader in medicine and public health throughout her career, including expertise in reproductive health and birth outcomes. Most recently she was serving in the CA Dept. of Public Health Center for Healthy Communities, overseeing the state’s public health and prevention programs. Governor Newsom recently announced her appointment as Surgeon General, a leadership role he established in 2019. Welcome Dr. Ramos, as our Surgeon General!

California lawmakers on Wednesday approved an extension to the state’s COVID-19 supplemental sick leave until the end of the year. Originally, the leave was set to expire on Sept. 30. Workers can use the sick leave if they are infected with COVID-19 to care for a sick family member or to receive a vaccination/booster. 

National Breastfeeding Month - That's a Wrap! 

It was wonderful to see all of your amazing breastfeeding/chestfeeding events throughout the month of August. Our WIC community absolutely rose to the occasion and celebrated in a variety of ways throughout the month, and it looks like our WIC families felt the love! We'd love to feature your WIC breastfeeding/chestfeeding events in the fall issue of the WIC Watch, so don't forget to send your photos and stories to Sarah by September 16th! 

A recent extensive review of research examining WIC participation and health outcomes found positive associations with WIC participation, but points to the need for a greater body of studies. Narrowing the rigorous review to 20 studies, examining health outcomes, health care engagement and health behaviors, positive outcomes were found for WIC participation.



Read More >

A new study suggests that eating fish during pregnancy is protective against the harmful effects of mercury on fetal development, even when the types of fish are those that contain higher levels of mercury. 

Read More >

The CDC has issued recommendations for updated COVID-19 boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech for people ages 12 years and older and from Moderna for people ages 18 years and older. Updated COVID-19 boosters add Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components to the current vaccine composition, helping to restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination by targeting variants that are more transmissible and immune-evading.

Read More >

New research reveals unpaid labor is associated with poorer mental health in employed women, but the effects are less apparent for men. Of the 14 studies included in the review, five examined unpaid labor (inclusive of care), nine examined housework time and, of these, four also examined childcare. Researchers found that in addition to the economic penalty women experience shouldering most of the world's unpaid labor load, there is a mental health cost as well.

Read More >