WIC Research, Policy and Practice Hub WIC Research, Policy and Practice Hub


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is WIC?

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is a national, targeted supplemental public-health nutrition program that serves roughly 7.3 million mothers, babies, and young children in the United States.

The mission of WIC is to assure healthy pregnancies, healthy birth outcomes, and healthy growth and development for women, infants, and children up to age five who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious supplemental foods, breastfeeding promotion and support, education on healthy eating, and referrals to healthcare and critical social services.

What is the Hub?

The world of WIC is vast – with 90 state WIC agencies, over 10,000 local agencies, over 40 years of research and constant innovation, WIC staff, researchers, and advocates produce resources in a host of formats. To help streamline information, the National WIC Association created this central website that is searchable by state, Indian Nation or territory, resource type, and topic. The WIC Research, Policy, and Practice Hub will be a tool for WIC staff, researchers, and advocates to navigate and explore the world of WIC.

Who is the Hub for?
  • WIC staff at all levels
  • Researchers both within the WIC community and outside of it
  • Advocates who want research-based information to apply for their policy-change efforts
  • Policymakers seeking information on WIC successes and outcomes

The site is designed to bring members of each of these communities together and encourage members of different communities to venture into new areas.

How do I submit a resource to the Hub?

Share your work by completing and submitting this form. Once submitted, the NWA Hub Advisory Group will review content and either approve it for publication on the Hub or provide feedback to the author.

The form for submitting research, policy, and practice resources has a number of questions, including those on the following aspects of your resource:

  • Scope:Does the resource relate most closely to research, policy, or practice?
  • Topics addressed: You will be asked to select up to four topics that are addressed in the resource.
  • Resource type: You will be asked to identify which description most accurately reflects the resource type.
  • Summary of and benefit of the resource to WIC: You will be asked to provide a summary of the resource and a short justification of its value to WIC.

For questions on the process of submitting a resource, please contact Hub@nwica.org.

Who owns the Hub?

The Hub is managed by the National WIC Association.

What is the National WIC Association?

The National WIC Association (NWA) is the nonprofit education arm and advocacy voice of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the roughly 7.3 million mothers and young children served by WIC, and the 12,000 service-provider agencies that are the front lines of WIC’s public-health nutrition services for the nation’s nutritionally at-risk mothers and young children.

How is information on the Hub organized?

Resources on the Hub are organized by category, resource type, scope, and geography. Generally, resources fall into one of three categories used on the site:

  • Research & Data
  • Advocacy Tools
  • Practice & Program Materials
Do I need to be a member of the National WIC Association to use the Hub?

No, although there are some resources that are for NWA members only. Those resources will require a login to access them. For more information on NWA membership, please visit this page.

Do I need to be a member of the National WIC Association to submit a resource to the Hub?

Yes. To submit a resource to the Hub, please make sure your NWA membership is current.

How is the Hub different from WIC Works?

The Hub is a comprehensive collection of WIC-related resources for state and local WIC staff, WIC advocates, and WIC researchers. WIC Works Resource System, which is a site maintained by the US Department of Agriculture, is solely for WIC staff. Our hope is that eventually the Hub will help support collaboration among WIC staff, researchers, and advocates and complement the resources available on WIC Works.

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