Congress Passes New Continuing Resolution, Extends WIC Bump |
Congress has passed a continuing resolution that would extend federal funding levels through February 18, 2022. The continuing resolution includes a provision that will extend the WIC CVB bump through March 31, 2022 – maintaining current levels of $24/month for children, $43/month for pregnant and postpartum participants, and $47/month for pregnant and postpartum month for breastfeeding participants. The fruit and vegetable benefit increase would otherwise have expired today, December 3. Participants are deeply appreciative of the expanded benefit and the ability to feed their families more produce, see some videos of their stories here.
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House Passes Build Back Better
The House of Representatives narrowly passed the Build Back Better package in mid November. The bill offers universal prekindergarten, child care subsidies that extend into the middle class, expanded financial aid for college, hundreds of billions of dollars in housing support, and four weeks of paid family leave. Next, it will need to pass the Senate.
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PUMP Act Headed to Senate Floor |
The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act received a strong bipartisan vote in the U.S. House of Representatives and was passed unanimously by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. The next step is to bring the PUMP Act to the Senate floor for a vote. Use US Breastfeeding Committee's action tool to contact your Senators with just a few clicks!
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California Re-Districting Process
Every ten years, California uses census data to re-draw Assembly, Senate, and Congressional district lines based on population changes. The independent commission responsible for redistricting is is meeting this week to consider public comment on its preliminary maps and consider changes. Although it is a nonpartisan commission, how it draws the final districts will nonetheless impact partisan dynamics.
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Read the newest CWA WIC Watch Magazine!
Our latest issue of the WIC Watch - CWA's bi-annual magazine about all things WIC - was published this morning! Inside you will find policy updates, local agency news, research and policy briefs, WIC workforce developments and wellness innovations. Do you have a story that you want to share in the next WIC Watch? Send it to Sarah!
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WIC Wellness Wednesdays!
You can read the latest edition of W3 , our wellness newsletter collaboration with American Red Cross WIC here. In it you will find some great information to share, and links to resources on compassion fatigue and building healthy relationships. There is a delicious recipe for vegan donuts that I have pinned to my recipe board and some really wonderful apps that help individuals find support groups. Thank you to John and his crew for putting together such a great issue to close out the year.
There is also the final Wellness Wednesday session for 2021, Portable Peace Practices Session 5: Feeling the Energy of the Body & Setting Intentions for 2022. Register here. It's totally ok if you missed any of the prior sessions, you can pop into any of these and feel right at home!
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Webinar: Baby-Led Approach to Feeding and Preventing Choking
Katie Ferraro, MPH, RD, CDE, baby led feeding expert will provide a webinar sponsored by the California Childhood Obesity CoIIN. Dec. 8, 11:30am-1pm, register here and CE units provided.
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Low to Middle Income Californians Experiencing Food Insecurity |
A recent statewide survey of low to middle income Californians revealed widespread food insecurity. When reflecting on the past 12 months, nearly three-quarters of respondents reported that they’ve worried about running out of food before they could afford to buy more. More than three in five respondents actually ran out of food before their households could afford to purchase more.
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Military to Pay for Personnel to Ship Breast Milk Home |
Military travel regulations will be updated in 2022 so that parents can be reimbursed for the cost of mailing breast milk while the mother is separated from her baby. A policy change is slated for January 2022. The move would be an upgrade from current policies, which offer nursing parents a safe place to pump and store their breast milk, and cover the costs of a breast pump and other nursing supplies for up to three years after a child is born, but place the cost of shipping milk on the parents.
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Adding Juice to Baby's Diet Could Set Stage for Obesity |
According to a U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development study, introducing fruit juice to infants before they were a year old was tied to higher consumption in early/middle childhood of other drinks heavily laden with sugar, and greater odds of obesity and tooth decay.
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Standing Up for Lactation Accommodation |
Charnae Easton, an employee of the US Postal Service, in Richmond, CA won a suit against the USPS after being denied her right to lactation accommodation. Through a connection at her WIC office, she met staff at Legal Aid at Work who supported her in pursuing a complaint and suit. As a result, policy changes are taking place requiring employee education and support in the Richmond USPS locations.
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Paternity Leave and Dad's Brain |
When dads take maternity leave, they are more likely to have a close relationship with their kids years later, and are more likely to have intact spousal relationships down the road. One reason paternity leave might boost fathers’ relationships is that parenting experience transforms men’s brains and bodies.
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What to Expect With Your COVID-19 Booster |
All adults are now eligible for COVID-19 booster shots, which means more people than ever have already or will soon be experiencing side effects from their boosters. Fortunately, side effects are usually short-lived. Check out common side effects so you know what to expect.
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Maternal and Child Nutrition Program |
The UC Davis Master of Advanced Study in Maternal and Child Nutrition is now accepting applications for fall 2022. By providing an inclusive, learner-centered education, this unique program is focused on training graduate students for careers in health sciences and building their strong scientific background.
Program features allow students to:
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Study part-time and while working—This program, consisting of six units (one course) per quarter, is designed to meet the needs of working professionals and most students work full-time.
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Participate via broadcast—Classroom lectures are broadcast, giving students the option to participate synchronously via remote classroom.
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Learn from leaders—Faculty members are internationally known for their groundbreaking research in maternal and child nutrition.
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Stay ahead of the curve—This program satisfies the upcoming requirement for a student to first obtain a master's degree in order to become a registered dietitian.
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Advance your career—Graduates of the program may become pediatric nutrition specialists, maternal nutrition specialists, lactation consultants and lactation specialists within healthcare organizations, and fill administrative positions in public health agencies at local, state and national levels.
To learn more about this program, visit the website where you can join the mailing list, schedule time with an enrollment coach or register for an upcoming information session.
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Unemployment Help
Although being unemployed is never easy and looking for a job is a job in itself, WIC Can Help by referring families to the following resources that can assist with everything from job training to learning how to get out of debt after lost wages from not working.
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Support CWA online!
As a nonprofit membership organization, CWA relies on the contributions of many organizations and individuals to help us achieve our mission. There are many ways to give of your time, talents, or resources to help CWA promote healthy families, strong communities, and bright futures! We appreciate all forms of support and invite you to join us!
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California WIC Association www.calwic.org
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