Late updated: April, 2023

Author: WIC Program, Division of Family and Child Health, Vermont Department of Health

Prior to COVID-19, WIC caseloads had been on a steady decline in Vermont and across the country. There are many factors contributing to this including: declining birthrates, lower unemployment rates, and a healthy economy. Other factors such as a lack of awareness or understanding of the WIC program, perceived stigma associated with participation, lack of referrals, barriers to applying, transportation limitations, and difficulties with the shopping experience also contributed to a decline in enrollment.  A lower percentage of eligible pregnant individuals are choosing to enroll in WIC, and those that do are enrolling later in their pregnancies.

The program saw a sharp rise in participation at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. USDA provided waivers to federal regulations to support remote appointments and to expand food lists due to supply chain issues. The waivers allowed for appointments to be conducted by phone and added foods. Additionally, under American Rescue Plan Act, WIC was able to triple the amount of fruit and vegetable benefits from June through September 2021, a popular part of the WIC food package. The increased fruit and vegetable benefit amounts continued based on additional funding under the American Rescue Plan Act.

The Abbott formula recall in February 2022, and the subsequent infant formula shortage also had a great impact on families who use formula. The shortage effected WIC program participants and staff who have responded at both the state and local level.

Vermont WIC’s mission is to assure healthy pregnancies, healthy birth outcomes, and healthy growth and development for pregnant, breast/chestfeeding, and postpartum individuals, infants and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk, by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, breast/chest feeding information and support, education on nutrition and healthy eating, and referrals to health care and critical social services.

WIC supports sound nutrition during critical periods of cognitive development. In fact, research shows that children whose mothers participated in WIC while pregnant scored higher on assessments of mental development at age 2 than similar children whose mothers didn’t participate.

There are also direct and indirect economic benefits associated with WIC participation. Medicaid saves up to $4.20 for every $1 spent on pregnant women who participate in WIC because pregnancies are longer, leading to fewer premature and underweight births. WIC also supplements monthly food expenses by ensuring that families have access to nutritious food, which reduces food insecurity and the risk of chronic conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

• Department for Children and Families
• Department of Vermont Health Access
• Vermont Foodbank
• Hunger Free Vermont
• Building Bright Futures
• Let’s Grow Kids
• Home Health Agencies
• Health Care Providers
• Grocers
• National WIC Association
• VT FEED
• VCHIP

Several strategies have been shown to aid in enrollment, participation, and retention in WIC. The program participates in a national branding campaign to increase awareness and decrease stigma. The program has also learned lessons during COVID-19 on nutrition service innovations to carry into future operations.

Remote appointments: The program offers a mix of appointment options (phone, video, and in-person) to meet family needs and follow current WIC regulations. Clinic environments as well as staff are friendly and welcoming and many offer evening appointments.

Outreach: Local WIC program staff conduct outreach to eligible families, and partner with community organizations to offer certification appointments and nutrition education opportunities. Families receive appointment reminders by text and communicate with offices using two-way texting.

Nutrition Education: Various opportunities are offered for nutrition education, including one-on-one counseling, group classes, and online lessons.

Enhanced Shopping Experience: To enhance the WIC Shopping experience, WIC partners with grocers to ensure correct shelf-tagging, system operations, and excellent customer service. Local WIC staff support families with grocery store tours and troubleshooting. The program has a WIC Shopper App, a digital and printed Foods Guide, and shopping videos that can be used in support of WIC shopping. The program reviews products on the Approved Product List regularly to assure offerings meet family needs while complying with federal regulations.

Participant satisfaction is monitored annually through a Participation Survey. Results of the survey are used to plan quality improvement projects at the state and local levels.

Vermont WIC will continue to implement the strategies outlined in the “What Works” section above. Additionally, the following strategies will have focus in the coming months:

• Vermont WIC will engage with the newly established Family Partner Advisory group for support with ongoing program operations and innovations.
• Vermont WIC is developing resources for prenatal provider outreach and partnering with local Health Department staff who will visit with providers to identify improvements in the referral process.
• The program will monitor show rates and participant satisfaction with all appointment options including phone, video, and in-person.
• The program will modernize and innovate with technology, particularly around the use of data visualization and telehealth. The program developed and is piloting the use of a game application to provide infant feeding education in a novel way. Evaluation results of the pilot will inform future planning.
• The program will launch a participant portal which will allow easy access for families to schedule appointments, check their food balance, and communicate with local clinic staff.

Read more about program data, plans, and reports on our WIC Plans and Reports webpage.