CWA Flash Newsletter - October 26, 2020 |
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Senate Health ACA Info Hearing |
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Welcome Sydney Armendariz, Chief, Maternal and Infant Health Branch |
With ten years of experience in state government, Sydney Armendariz has a personal passion for public service to California's underserved communities. She recently served as the Corrections-Workforce Partnership Manager at the California Workforce Development Board. She has served in several state management and specialist positions, including experience at the Department of State Hospitals and the Department of Health Care Services. Sydney started her career in state service as an Office Technician with the State Controller's Office. She earned a Master of Organizational Leadership degree from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychobiology, with a minor in African/African American Studies from the University of California, Davis. In her free time, she is an avid baker and traveler, and she enjoys anything that revolves around food. |
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WIC Online Ordering, Pick-Up & Delivery |
One of the positive outcomes of the pandemic has been the pilot for SNAP online order and pickup or delivery of groceries, was expedited and includes California, as reported in the Flash in April. This shopping option would be not only a helpful but safer option for WIC families who include infants, small children and pregnant individuals. The WIC and SNAP shopping transactions are very different, and for WIC without a waiver, a signature is required in the presence of a cashier. National WIC Assn. assembled a work group in early 2020 to look at these options. An outcome of the workgroup is a paper WIC/E WIC Pick Up and Delivery Requirements, providing specific comparisons and considerations of the WIC and SNAP shopping transactions. Thanks to the industry experts who invested in this partnership. In California one grocer has begun providing online ordering and curbside pickup as shared in the recent WIC Watch.
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USDA Fighting to Block Vulnerable Families From SNAP Dollars |
The Trump administration is fighting in federal court to block states from giving billions of dollars in emergency food stamps to the lowest-income Americans during the coronavirus crisis. California and Pennsylvania are suing USDA over a policy that has kept roughly 40 percent of households who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from receiving any emergency benefits during the pandemic. After being ordered by a federal judge last week to proceed with the payments in the Pennsylvania case, the department is continuing to appeal. USDA says it’s following the law, while critics claim that the Trump administration continues shrinking safety net programs, even during the unprecedented hardship and unemployment of the pandemic. The law requires USDA to grant state requests to distribute emergency allotments of SNAP as long as both the federal government and the state are under an emergency, but says the emergency payment can’t be higher than existing maximum benefit levels for SNAP, thresholds that are set by the size and income level of a household. USDA has taken this to mean that households already receiving the maximum benefit level each month before the pandemic — because they have little to no household income — are not eligible for any emergency payments.
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CNC Scholarship Applications Available Nov. 16! |
We are thrilled to announce the return of CNC scholarships for the 2020-2021 term! As a reminder, applicants may apply once per category, must be currently employed in a WIC program with at least 6 months of continuous employment at the time of application, and currently enrolled in a dietetic internship, undergraduate, or graduate program. Applications will be available on our website on November 16 for the 19th year of the CNC scholarships! New this year: applications can be submitted via email! For more information, contact Lena.
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Capitol Education "Day" - A Little Different This Year |
In a typical year, we would convene during our Fall Conference at the Capitol to learn about doing WIC education and advocacy with our policymakers, and attempt to visit as many California Senators and Assemblymembers as possible – but this is not a typical year! This year we will be holding a virtual policy training day on November 18th with some speakers from the Capitol, and then we will be holding group virtual visits by region November 30th-December 4th. You can register for our November 18th training here, and please RSVP to Sarah ASAP if you are interested in attending virtual visits with legislators from your area!
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Microplastics Released From Bottles During Infant Formula Prep |
New research shows that high levels of microplastics (MPs) are released from infant-feeding bottles (IFBs) during formula preparation. The research also indicates a strong relationship between heat and MP release, such that warmer liquids (formula or water used to sterilize bottles) result in far greater release of MPs. In response, the researchers involved -- from AMBER, the SFI Research Centre for Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research, TrinityHaus and the Schools of Engineering and Chemistry at Trinity College Dublin -- have developed a set of recommendations for infant formula preparation when using plastic IFBs that minimize MP release.
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Air Pollution Drives Food Delivery and Plastic Waste |
When the air outside is bad, office workers are more likely to order food delivery than go out for lunch, which in turn increases plastic waste from food packaging, according to a study by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS). Data examined by researchers indicated a strong link between pollution and food delivery consumption. Correcting for weather and seasonal influences, increased air pollution increased the likelihood on office workers' propensity to order delivery by 43 per cent. Although the study was of workers in China, the conclusions are worth examining in places like California, where severe smoke from Wildfires impacted air quality throughout the state for much of the summer.
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Less-Restrictive Reproductive Rights = Healthier Babies |
American women living in states with less restrictive reproductive rights policies are less likely to give birth to low-birth weight babies, according to a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The findings show that women, particularly US-born Black women, giving birth in states with less restrictive reproductive rights policies have a seven percent lower low-birth weight risk, compared to women in states with more restrictive policies.
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Recruit Families for a UC Study on EITC! |
California families are struggling to stay healthy and make ends meet. A University of California Berkeley, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Nutrition Policy Institute study aims to capture families' experiences with safety net programs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on take up and use of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Safety net programs are designed to support families in times of crisis, yet many eligible families do not participate. This study aims to understand the supports people utilize, how they help, the factors that predict participation, where the gaps may be, and what can be done to make things better. The researchers are trying to speak with up to 530 California families income-eligible for WIC and with at least one child, ages birth to eight. The link below (available in English and Spanish) connects interested participants with the study team. Eligible participants are scheduled for a 1-2 hour interview in English or Spanish. Interviews ask about participants’ life experiences related to health, food security, safety net program participation (WIC, CalFresh, EITC, etc.), housing, finances, and similar topics. After finishing the survey, participants receive a $50 gift card as a thank you. Learn more about taking the survey, and if you are interested in learning more or need information in another language, please call or text (213) 915-6410 or email reach.access.study@gmail.com.
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CA SIDS Program MyStory
The California SIDS Program has launched MyStory: Stories from the California SIDS Program. This storytelling series enables parents and caregivers who have lost a child suddenly and unexpectedly to share their personal stories of grief, support and healing. MCAH has released stories in English and hope to have Spanish-language MyStory resources in the future.
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Updated Guide to Breastfeeding From OWH
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health published an updated version of the "Your Guide to Breastfeeding" resource. The guide raises awareness of the importance of breastfeeding to help mothers give their babies the best start possible in life. The resource includes information for breastfeeding parents on how to breastfeed, where to find breastfeeding support, common questions, and more.
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CA Health Providers Get ACEs Trained
Nearly 14,000 health care providers have completed the ACEs Aware initiative’s core training program, a key finding included in a data report from the Office of the California Surgeon General (CA-OSG) and Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). “Becoming ACEs Aware in California”, a first-in-the-nation program, trains health care providers to address Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) by screening, recognizing and responding to the symptoms of toxic stress, with trauma-informed care. The Provider Training September Data Update shows that of those trained, 8,300 are Medi-Cal providers now eligible to receive payment for providing ACE screenings. The newly launched ACEs Aware Provider Directory offers patients a way to find and connect with trained ACEs Aware providers throughout California. The initiative has been an integral part of the Medi-Cal program’s response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, helping providers identify, treat, and prevent the secondary health effects associated with stress caused by the pandemic. Building on the success of the first nine months, the ACEs Aware initiative will continue to support health care providers and their teams with educational events, clinical ACE resources, and a provider toolkit.
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Guide to Working and Nursing Through a Pandemic
PumpSpotting released a guide titled "How to Work and Breastfeed and Get Through a Pandemic." The guide includes a video of experts addressing frequently asked questions about working and feeding during COVID-19, and fact sheets about sanitizing pumping spaces and lowering COVID-19-related anxiety.
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How to Hug During a Pandemic
It is tough to go so long with so little human touch. With the holidays coming, there will also be lots of huggable moments when decisions must be made. This article provides some information on hugging during a pandemic that could help you and loved ones plan ahead and reduce social stress.
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California WIC Association | www.calwic.org
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