CNN
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $53 million to strengthen outreach, improve technology, and enhance the shopping experience for families receiving the Special Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children known as WIC. We are awarding subsidies.
funds coming from American Rescue Planning Act of 2021is intended to help state agencies, community groups, and other nonprofits test new ways to reach out to existing and potential WIC participants.
It will also be sent to state agencies to take advantage of text messaging, mobile phone support, booking tools, and help participants identify WIC-eligible foods at grocery stores and shop online with WIC benefits. to help grocery store employees better serve their beneficiaries.
The effort will see the Biden administration step up food aid and minimize hunger in the United States.
WIC provides diet, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and health care referrals for low-income children up to age 5 and pregnant and postpartum women.of american rescue plan It also increased access to fruits and vegetables by increasing benefits to $35 per person per month. This provision was later amended and extended to his December of this year.
About 6.2 million Americans attended WIC in February, up 1.2% from February 2020, according to the WIC. Recent reports From the Food Research & Action Center, an advocacy group. The participant poured his $7 billion into the local economy in WIC profits.
However, during the first two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, 21 states and the District of Columbia saw increases, while the remaining states declined or remained stable, with wide variation in participants.
The center reported that North Carolina had the largest increase in attendance, with a 21% increase, while New Mexico dropped 20%.
About 1.4 million women participated in February, down 5.4% over the two years. The number of children enrolled in the program increased by 8.7% to about 3.4 million, while the number of infants decreased by 7.7% to 1.4 million.
