This study will collect information and data to identify competitive pricing strategies and vendor peer group systems, both current and ideal, that are effective at cost containment and that can be applied and potentially implemented in all States.
In a joint project with the USDA Economic Research Service, CARRA has been integrating data from state government agencies with existing Census Bureau data to evaluate and enhance public assistance programs. In 2014, CARRA and the National WIC Association began discussions to conduct similar research for state WIC agencies. By linking WIC administrative records with individual-level data from the American Community Survey, CARRA is able to identify the population in a state that is modeled as eligible for WIC benefits, those who participate in the program, and individuals who are modeled as eligible but do not participate. This project aims to provide state WIC agencies with trends over time and rates of eligibility, participation, and non-participation by various demographic and economic characteristics that can be used to improve state outreach efforts and maximize program efficiency.
WIC vendor-management regulations require that WIC State agencies establish vendor groups and maximum allowable reimbursement rates (MARR) for each voucher and each vendor peer group. Paper vouchers submitted for reimbursement do not provide information on the foods purchased, only the total reimbursement value. Since WIC State agencies allow a variety of products, brands, and package sizes, the reimbursement value of vouchers that include a combination of foods can reflect differences in the types and prices of the foods purchased by the participant, as well as differences in quantities (e.g., a partially-redeemed voucher). This project will examine the sensitivity of MARRs to different methods of identifying partially-redeemed vouchers.
With tighter budgets, there is interest in better understanding the choices that WIC participants make in selecting their WIC foods and the stores where they shop. For example, within the choices offered, do WIC participants tend to purchase the most expensive item, the least expensive, or an average-price item? Do WIC participants tend to purchase some items at more-expensive stores? How do WIC participants’ choices compare to the choices participants make when using other sources of payment, or to the choices that non- participants make? This study will use WIC Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) redemption data to explore cost variations within and between WIC vendors, and to examine whether WIC participants show greater tendencies to purchase the lower cost, higher cost, or average cost foods within each food category.
Approximately every ten years, FNS conducts a nationally-representative survey of the characteristics of WIC participants and State and local agencies. The NSWP Series provides USDA with national estimates of certification- related errors and improper payments for use in USDA’s required reporting under the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 (IPERA). The NSWP series also collects information on State and local WIC Agencies’ certification-related policies and operations in order to better understand both the policies and their potential associations with error, provides statistical sample-based estimates of the size and characteristics of LWAs nationwide, and provides information from a nationally-representative sample of WIC participants about their experiences with the WIC program. The last study collected data in 2009 and was published in 2012. The next study in the series was awarded in September 2015. Data collection is anticipated to begin in 2017.
This study will provide updated information on the feeding patterns of WIC infants, with expanded information on infant and toddler feeding behaviors. To address relative effectiveness in achieving appropriate feeding patterns and behaviors, the study will measure the different approaches to nutrition education and breastfeeding promotion and support services provided by WIC and other sources. The study will identify aspects of WIC nutrition education that could influence feeding practices to address the problem of high body weight among young children in WIC. The contract funds the design, sampling and data collection through 5 years of age.
This study will provide updated information on the feeding patterns of WIC infants, with expanded information on infant and toddler feeding behaviors. To address relative effectiveness in achieving appropriate feeding patterns and behaviors, the study will measure the different approaches to nutrition education and breastfeeding promotion and support services provided by WIC and other sources. The study will identify aspects of WIC nutrition education that could influence feeding practices to address the problem of high body weight among young children in WIC. The contract funds the design, sampling and data collection through 5 years of age.
Designed as an update to the 2003 Assessment of WIC Cost-Containment Practices, this study will incorporate changes to the WIC program that have occurred since then, including substantial revisions to food packages, expansion of EBT, and improvements in vendor management. The study will provide a census of the various cost-containment practices employed throughout State agencies, examine the impact of at least 6 cost-containment practices on WIC program goals, and ultimately develop at least 4 best practices in food package cost containment measures to be distributed to State agencies.
FNS awards WIC Special Project Grants to be used for "special State projects of regional or national significance to improve the services of the program." In order to meet the statutory objectives, Special Projects need to address issues of critical and timely importance to the WIC program.
The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (Section 232) requires a review of the WIC food package at least every ten years to ensure that it conforms to current nutrition science, public health concerns, and cultural eating patterns. This comprehensive scientific review updates and expands upon the 2006 IOM expert report “WIC Food Packages: Time for a Change.” FNS has again asked IOM to conduct a review of the WIC Food Packages. The primary aims of this review are to: 1) Review and assess the nutritional status and food and nutritional needs of the WIC-eligible population; 2) Provide specific, scientifically-based recommendations for the WIC food packages; and 3) Ensure that the recommendations would result in WIC Food Packages that: (a) are consistent with the most recently available edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), (b) address the health and cultural needs of the widely diverse WIC participant population, and (c) can operate efficiently and be effectively administered across the Nation.
