The USDA on Monday extended a series of flexibilities in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children for the duration of the Covid-19 public health emergency. Pandemic-related waivers for the program, commonly known as WIC, have allowed participants to apply for benefits remotely, expanded pick-up options, and broadened the scope of eligible products.
“USDA has been extremely steadfast in offering flexibilities to ensure Americans in need continue to receive food assistance during COVID-19,” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a press release.
WIC provides not only food assistance but nutrition education, counseling and health screenings to low-income pregnant women and new mothers. Unlike other anti-hunger tools, WIC is prescriptive: it directs recipients to a fixed set of foods that are deemed essential for maternal, prenatal, and early-childhood nutritional needs. Although other assistance programs help families put food on the table, WIC follows a specific set of nutrition guidelines that ensures a balanced diet for a particularly vulnerable population.
Advocates celebrated the USDA’s decision. During the pandemic, the waivers have minimized health risks associated with in-person consultations, and have expanded the program’s reach, leading to a significant increase in enrollment.
“Over the past several years, WIC had already seen a decline in participation due to challenges with transportation, childcare or work conflicts,” said Brian Dittmeier, senior public policy counsel at the National WIC Association — hurdles that the pandemic has exacerbated.
Lisa Davis, the vice president of No Kid Hungry, called the extension a “relief,” saying the “waivers have been instrumental in helping keep pregnant mothers and infants safe and well-nourished by allowing them to continue receiving benefits without risking their health and well-being by physically going into a clinic.”
But even as advocates praised the extension, they lamented that the USDA — which called its move “proactive” — waited until just before the Sept. 30 expiration date to announce its decision.
“If the department had been ‘proactive,’ they would’ve made this decision months ago,” said Rev. Douglas Greenaway, president and CEO of the National WIC Association. “It’s unconscionable that they left WIC staff and families in a state of fear.”
Uncertainty over the fate of the waivers required WIC clinics to invest time and resources into preparing for a potential return to in-person consultations, including the costs of protective equipment and modifications to accommodate social distancing — after they had already shifted resources to the technology required to assure remote access.
Davis, of No Kid Hungry, urged the USDA and Congress to act on a host of other anti-hunger tools that are set to expire at the end of September. “We’re thankful Secretary Perdue took action to extend the WIC waivers,” she said. “Now, we’d like to see USDA and Congress work together to do the same for critical child-nutrition waivers through the full academic year.”