The Center For WIC Nutrition Education Innovations At The USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College Of Medicine

The United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) Children’s Nutrition Research Center (CNRC) at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) was awarded funding to create the USDA Center for WIC Nutrition Education Innovations (CNRC WIC Center) in August, 2012. The major goal of the CNRC WIC Center was to develop and administer a competitive process to solicit, evaluate, and fund innovative and effective WIC nutrition education sub-grants. A Request for Applications (RFA) was developed and issued two times. University-based researchers, collaborating with state/local WIC collaborators, were eligible to respond. Two review panels were conducted and four awards were made: 1) Dr. Rafael Pérez-Escamilla at Yale [LATCH (Lactation Advice thru Texting Can Help)], 2) Dr. Lorrene Ritchie at University of California Nutrition Policy Institute [Online Nutrition Education: WIC in the 21st Century], 3) Dr. Jennifer Di Noia, William Paterson University, NJ [Online WIC Nutrition Education to Promote Farmer Markets Fruit and Vegetable Purchases and Consumption]; and 4) Dr. M Jane Heinig, UC-Davis [Supporting Baby Behavior Through Pediatric Offices]. These were distinct projects with different outcome measures (breakfast dietary behaviors, salt reduction, breastfeeding maintenance for 3 months, timing of first postpartum contact between mother and Peer Counselor, improvements in fruit and vegetable intake and use of farmers’ market nutrition program and WIC cash value vouchers, and the effect of providing Baby Behavior tools and training designed for medical staff on provider knowledge and practice and on WIC participant outcomes (infant BMI z score).

The CNRC WIC Center coordinated the efforts among the grantees, monitored progress, and convened a Workshop at the Food and Nutrition Service office in Alexandria, VA, on July 20, 2016. The four grantees presented the outcomes of their projects at that time.

All the projects were implemented with success.