Advocacy Toolkit
There has been considerable progress to modernize WIC, with policymakers and federal agencies recognizing the potential health and societal benefits that could be achieved if WIC reached all eligible families. As the WIC provider community works to build momentum for a modern WIC, advocacy is one of the greatest ways we can leverage our collective voice to secure actionable change for WIC families. Advocacy is defined as support for a particular program, cause, or policy. That support can manifest in different forms of advocacy with varying levels of engagement. While NWA’s Public Policy Team advocates for WIC to policymakers, policymakers want and need to hear directly from their constituents and the WIC providers who can attest to how WIC impacts the communities they represent.
There are two main types of advocacy: public education and lobbying.
- Public education is the foundation of advocacy and can help lay the foundation for WIC policies. By educating policymakers on WIC in your district, you can share your personal experiences delivering or receiving WIC, the implications of certain policies, and the successes and challenges in your clinic.
- Lobbying is a form of advocacy that seeks to influence the outcome of a specific piece of legislation.
Below are several resources that can help prepare you to engage with policymakers and lift up your own WIC voice. These resources are complemented by additional pages on Action Central that provide targeted resources based on issue area – including priority legislation, rulemaking, and other modernization efforts.
WIC providers and participants truly have the power to influence WIC policy. YOU are the expert on WIC in your district.