Dear Senator,

Throughout the pandemic, as many families have struggled to put healthy food on the table, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has played a vital role in supporting the nutrition security of new and expectant parents, babies, and young children. WIC providers quickly adapted to new challenges and changing circumstances, standing up remote services that resolved long standing barriers to access and resulted in a 10% nationwide increase in child participation. These flexibilities are tied to the public health emergency declaration, and Congress must act before the end of the year to make these options permanent.

The House Education and Labor Committee advanced the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act, which incorporates common-sense proposals that will enhance WIC’s public health services. In September 2021, approximately three-quarters of likely voters indicated support for these WIC reforms, including extended eligibility periods for postpartum women and permanent flexibility for remote appointments. These core program expansions and improvements are included in three bipartisan bills introduced in the Senate - the Wise Investment in our Children Act (S. 853), the MODERN WIC Act (S. 3226), and the WIC Healthy Beginnings Act (S. 3216).

We’re calling on the Senate to:
Extend WIC postpartum eligibility to two years, enhancing maternal nutrition and support for new parents during the inter-pregnancy interval
Ensure kids can stay on WIC until their sixth birthday or when they enter full-day kindergarten, sustaining nutrition support during a critical period for school-readiness
Permanently relax physical presence rules to enable remote certification options - including phone and video appointments - that will streamline access while preserving WIC’s public health character
Expand the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program and support peer counselor placements in hospitals, physician offices, and home visiting programs, to help more families achieve their breastfeeding goals
Ease regulatory barriers to virtual shopping and set a target of October 2025 for WIC agencies to scale up online shopping options for participating families
Modernize the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program to strengthen the partnership between WIC families and local farm economies

Every dollar spent on WIC returns more than double its investment, demonstrating the power of early nutrition intervention and tailored support. Now is the time to strengthen WIC’s critical services to improve the health of the next generation. Please support swift passage of a Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill before the end of the year, so that WIC can continue to serve families and help ensure that all kids get a healthy start in life.