Food Research and Action Center

WIC Directors Survey on Nutrition Services Funds

Report Summary

Reducing Nutrition Services Funds Would Reduce Access to WIC and

Lower Levels of Service for Many Women, Infants and Children
The WIC Directors Survey results confirm the valuable role of Nutrition Services (NSA)
funding in supporting quality nutrition education and services in WIC. The survey findings
make clear the negative consequences that would result from the President’s proposed
reduction in NSA funds.

Main Findings
• All agencies predict a negative impact from the proposed reduction in NSA funds.

• The majority anticipate a negative impact that would result in services in their state
being cut or scaled back including:

Fewer available WIC appointments and longer wait time, fewer WIC clinics
including fewer satellite clinics, cutting back on or eliminating early morning and
evening hours for WIC clinics and instituting waiting lists.

Less time spent on nutrition and breastfeeding education and support, fewer staff,
fewer nutrition education materials, fewer bilingual and multicultural nutrition
education and outreach materials.

• These agencies report that these reductions would reduce access to WIC and
lower the level of services for many women, infants and children.

About the WIC Directors Survey

The WIC Directors Survey was administered by the Food
Research and Action Center. The survey focused on Nutrition
Services funds and WIC access and quality services for the low-
income nutritionally at-risk WIC population and included sections
on the President’s proposed reduction in NSA funds. The high
response rate for the survey, 84 percent of state agencies, has
provided representative results. In this summary, the term
“agencies” is used to cover state WIC agency respondents.
Current Nutrition Services Funds
NSA funds support the full range of WIC services including
nutrition education and support, nutritional assessments,
breast feeding education and support, staff, clinic space,
nutrition education and assessment materials and
equipment, management information systems, referrals to
health and social services, outreach, cost containment
efforts and vendor management.

Agencies reported the nutrition education being offered is focused on the needs of the
client and includes providing information and guidance on preventing and reducing
maternal and childhood obesity and overweight; nutrition education focused on maternal
and child health including good nutrition for a healthy pregnancy, infant feeding and
nutrition for growing children; increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetable, whole
grains and calcium rich foods; and helping participants understand and follow the U.S.
Dietary Guidelines and Food Pyramid.

Survey Results
Results
Reductions in Nutrition Services Funds Will Have a Negative Impact

• All agencies predict a negative impact from the proposed reduction in NSA funds.

• The majority (96%) anticipate a negative impact that would result in services in their
state being cut or scaled back.

• Agencies report that the negative impact of an NSA reduction would result in a wide
range of WIC services and initiatives likely to be cut or scaled back including:

The majority of agencies report that it is likely that nutrition education and support
(72%), breastfeeding education and support (70%), staff (salary, benefits,
training) (85%), and outreach (80%) will be cut or scaled back.

Facilities (space, equipment) (63%),

management information systems (MIS)
(52%), and bilingual/multicultural services
(staff, materials, outreach) (54%) are likely
to be cut or scaled back in over half of
agencies.

Nutrition assessment (46%) and referrals to

health and social services (37%) are also
likely to be scaled back or cut in many
agencies, as are vendor management (49%)
and cost containment efforts (28%).
Agencies report that the negative consequences of cutting or
scaling back on services and initiatives would include reduced
access to WIC and lowering levels of WIC services for many
women, infants and children.

Reduced Nutrition Services Funds will Result in Reduced Access to WIC

for Many Women, Infants and Children

The majority of agencies (83%) expect to have fewer available WIC appointments and
a longer wait time for clients and potential clients to get a WIC appointment. Given the
importance of WIC in supporting better birth outcomes and healthier babies, the
projected delays in receiving WIC services could have significant health impacts for
pregnant women waiting for WIC. More than half (57%) of agencies would be forced
to implement or increase wait lists.

More than half the agencies (54%) expect to have fewer WIC clinics open as a result
of cut backs forced by NSA reductions. Satellite clinics may be the first to be
eliminated by many agencies (52%) expecting to close clinics. This is particularly
problematic as satellite clinics often focus on serving hard to reach and especially
vulnerable populations.

Half of agencies expect to see a reduction in the number of clinics in rural areas
(50%). More than one third expect a reduction of clinics in urban areas (37%). Fewer
clinics would translate into longer trips and more transportation barriers for WIC
families in both rural and urban areas. In addition, a third (33%) expect that some
local WIC agencies would leave the program.

Working women would face additional challenges participating in WIC if clinics cut
back or eliminated morning, evening and weekend hours. A majority (61%) of
agencies expect that WIC clinics would be forced to cut back or eliminate early
morning and evening hours. Fewer weekend hours, which are already less common,
are expected by 39% of agencies.
 Reduced Nutrition Services Funds will Result in Lower Levels of WIC
Services for Many Women, Infants and Children

The quality of WIC services would suffer from the cut backs
caused by reduced NSA funds. The majority of agencies reported
that the negative consequences would include less time spent on
nutrition education and support (83%), less time for
breastfeeding education and support (74%), and fewer nutrition
education materials (83%).

This is particularly short sighted given that the value of WIC

nutrition education can last a lifetime. Mothers use the nutrition
and activity lessons learned in WIC to keep their families healthy
and strong. Lowering the quality of WIC services would make it
harder for WIC participants to learn life long healthy eating
habits.

The majority (89%) of agencies would be forced to increase the participant to staff
ratio. Recruiting and retaining professional nutrition staff would become more difficult
for the majority of agencies (80%). Fewer staff for more clients would result in less
time for the hallmarks of WIC’s success: thorough nutritional assessments and
effective nutrition counseling. Trying to squeeze WIC nutrition education and
assessments appointments into less time would not be conducive to maintaining WIC’s
high level of client satisfaction and positive health outcomes for women, infants and
children.

The majority (65%) of agencies reported that

the reductions would result in fewer bilingual and
multicultural nutrition education and outreach
materials. Reductions in the number of
bilingual/multicultural staff are expected in a
third of agencies (33%). If bilingual staff and
materials are no longer available, it could
become nearly impossible for WIC mothers with
limited English skills, to comprehend the nutrition
education and other services.

A third (35%) of agencies expected the number of out-stationed WIC workers in

hospitals (who are key to reaching new mothers with timely breast feeding education)
and WIC workers at other agencies to be reduced.

Food Research and Action Center

Author: Geraldine Henchy
1875 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 540
Photo Credits: Fairfax County
Washington, DC 20009
Virginia WIC
(202)986-2200 extension 3025
www.frac.org