APRIL 19 2022
Public Health Emergency Declaration Renewed
Last week, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra extended the public health emergency (PHE) declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic through July, allowing for key program flexibilities to remain in place to sustain the nation’s COVID-19 response and support program operations affected by the pandemic. With the announcement, WIC waivers that allow for essential flexibilities will be in place through October. Secretary Becerra has guaranteed Governors 60-days notice before allowing the PHE to expire, and WIC’s waivers are in place for an additional 90 days after expiration of the PHE.
DHCS Launches "Coverage Ambassador" Effort
DHCS has launched a statewide effort, in anticipation of the official end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (although it was recently extended) and with it the end of the federal Medicaid continuous coverage requirement that was implemented as part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, to help Medi-Cal beneficiaries keep their Medi-Cal coverage or be enrolled in other coverage. Approximately 14.5 million California beneficiaries will need to have their eligibility for coverage redetermined. DHCS has been actively preparing for this unprecedented event for many months, and has implemented a two-phased communication campaign to reach beneficiaries with messages across multiple channels using trusted partners called DHCS Coverage Ambassadors. DHCS encourages its partners, including local county social services agencies, managed care plans (MCPs), health enrollment navigators, clinics, providers, and community stakeholders, to sign up to serve as DHCS Coverage Ambassadors. For Phase 1 of the campaign, DHCS recently launched a customizable Medi-Cal Continuous Coverage toolkit and webpage to help trusted entities and individuals act as DHCS Coverage Ambassadors to provide critical information to beneficiaries and to help preserve health coverage for millions.
CWA’s 30th Conference and Trade Show - Meet Our Speakers!

Are you joining us for the 30th Annual CWA Conference? There will be many opportunities to attend sessions around breastfeeding and early childhood nutrition and development this year. The great thing is that whatever you miss, you can come back and watch through mid-July, and still get the CEUs that you need. You don’t have to choose one and miss the others because they will all be available to you…
Breastfeeding sessions to include:
  • Hold the Phone! Diet Does Matter During Breastfeeding: Implication of Diet on Fatty Acid Composition and Other Nutrition Laurel Wilson, IBCLC, BSc, RLC, CLE®, CCCE, CLD, CPPI
  • Connection & Care: Virtual Support Strategies for Oral Assessment Melissa Cole, MS, IBCLC, RLC, Luna Lactation and Wellness
  • New ABM Mastitis Spectrum Protocol 2022 Katrina Mitchell, MD, IBCLC, PMH-C
  • Meeting clients where they’re at: Ethical guidelines when talking about complementary therapies Lisa Marasco, MA, IBCLC, FILCA (E-Cerp)
  • A Case Study Approach to Critical Thinking for Lactation Professionals Melissa Cole, MS, IBCLC, RLC, Luna Lactation and Wellness
  • Ethical Issues in Human Milk Exchange Naomi Bar-Yam, PhD, ACSW (E-Cerp)
  • The Long-Term Legacy: Epigenetics, the Microbiome, & Human Milk Laurel Wilson, IBCLC, BSc, RLC, CLE®, CCCE, CLD, CPPI
  • Confirmation Bias and other Cognitive Errors Catherine Watson Genna, BS IBCLC RLC (E-Cerp)
  • Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Lactation Collaborative of California: Changing narratives in AANHPI health Speaker Panel Early childhood nutrition and development sessions to include:
  • Eating Well For Every Culture Ashley Carter, RD/LDN & Jasmine Westbrooks, MS, RD/LDN, EatWell Exchange
  • 8 Easy Ways to Offer Infants High Iron Foods Katie Ferraro, MPH, RDE, CDE
  • Beyond a Bite: Sensory Food Exploration for the Neurodiverse Population Yaffi Lvova, RD
  • The Earliest Blueprints: The critical importance of zero to five Bryan Post, PhD, LCSW, Parents in Training
  • Preterm Birth Disparities & Contributing Factors Jessica Wade, March of Dimes, San Diego
And there is even more…check out our agenda here and join us! 
COVID-19 Vaccine Protects Kids From Severe Illness
Results of a new multicenter study found that vaccination with a primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine reduced the risk of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations in children ages 5-11 years by two-thirds during the Omicron period.
TRICARE Offers Doula, Lactation Support Coverage
Many military families now have more options for birth and lactation support. As of Jan. 1, TRICARE, the Department of Defense Military Health System, added new childbirth and breastfeeding benefits under the Childbirth and Breastfeeding Support Demonstration (CBSD). As part of this five-year study, TRICARE covers the services of three new types of TRICARE-authorized providers: Certified labor doulas; certified lactation consultants, and certified lactation counselors.

Nationwide Infant Formula Shortages
A shortage of infant formula is getting worse and leading some retailers to limit how much customers can buy in a given transaction. During the week of March 13, some 29% of baby formula products were out of stock at retailers across the United States. Shortages are due to supply chain issues, product recalls, and inflation.

COVID-19, or Spring Allergies?
Spring has sprung, and for many of us that means asking ourselves "is it COVID, or just allergies?" Although they share some symptoms, here's what doctors say about telling the two apart.
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Affordable Housing
Affordable housing provides more than just shelter. It can positively impact child development, education, mental and physical health, and other social and economic factors. This month, we provide resources on housing assistance for people with low and moderate incomes offered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD also contracts with state and local agencies to make sure everyone has access to safe and affordable housing.
WIC Can Help by referring families to local resources for rental assistance, subsidized housing, foreclosure prevention, and other ways to keep a roof over their heads.
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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