Welcome Kristen Bricko – new State Peer Breastfeeding Coordinator
We are happy to announce we have hired our new state peer breastfeeding coordinator for the WIC program. Kristen is an RDN, LD, and IBCLC that comes to us with 10 years of experience in nutrition and six years providing lactation services, including four years in leadership with the Sherburne County WIC program serving as the WIC Coordinator and peer breastfeeding coordinator. She was instrumental in implementing a peer breastfeeding program in Sherburne County and has extensive experience working with interdisciplinary teams, committees, and community partners to promote breastfeeding and support WIC families. She has some grant writing experience with the Whole Foods Kids Foundation and USDA school garden grant and supported social media content creation in Sherburne County. Kristen’s knowledge of public health systems along with her hands-on experience in the WIC program make her an excellent fit for this position. Her first day with us will be October 9.
Service awards and pins
Years of service pins and award certificates were mailed Monday, September 30 to local agencies that requested them for staff members. If you notice any errors or are missing any awards or pins, please reach out to tina.breitenbach@state.mn.us.
Thank you and again congratulations to all years of service recipients!
Participant Advisory Group
Just a reminder the interest forms for the participant advisory group closed Friday, Sept. 27. We will be reviewing the forms, selecting candidates to interview, and setting up our first meeting sometime before the end of the year. Thank you all for helping spread the word about this group and please if you have not already done, remove any flyers you may have posted.
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No Topic of the Month for October
The Topic of the Month webpage has a new look. Log on and check out one of the many educational memos on a variety of topics including breastfeeding, counseling, feeding behaviors, healthy habits, nutrition, pregnancy, vitamin supplements, healthy weight, substance use, and other general areas.
A reminder: Keep track of the time spent reading and/or engaging with your team on Topic of the Month memos. This counts toward the 10 hours of staff development that is required annually.
Have a topic idea? Want to be involved in writing a topic? Reach out to Carole.Kelnhofer@state.mn.us.
We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. Since the opening of the first clinic in 1974, WIC has been committed to improving maternal and child outcomes.
The October toolkit has not yet been released, NWA will share content on their website when it is available, and we'll share an update next week.
Check out the WIC 50th Anniversary webpage for additional resources
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Local agency staff should talk to their supervisor for approval before registering for training.
New webinar: “Improving the health of WIC participants through the nutrition education: Practical applications.”
Date: Wednesday., Dec. 11 - 8:30- 10 a.m.
Presenter: Melisa Nelson, MPH, RDN, LD
Description: Join us for an informative webinar focusing on ways that WIC staff can advance the program’s mission of improving the health and well-being of women, infants, and children through individualized nutrition education. Learn how to address nutrition education needs in a thorough and proactive manner and gain valuable insights into efficient techniques, customizing topics and questions to fit individual needs, and how to make the most of available tools. Take advantage of this opportunity to refine your education skills and create a meaningful difference in the lives of WIC participants!
Objectives:
- Describe the purpose and significance of WIC nutrition education.
- Prioritize nutrition education topics based on risk factors, individual needs, and developmental stages.
- Apply anticipatory guidance and motivational interviewing skills to respond effectively to situations where participants decline or show limited interest in nutrition education.
- Utilize available resources and tools available to make nutrition education more engaging and accessible.
Register by clicking the link below:
Improving the Health of WIC Participants through the Nutrition Education: Practical Applications
NOTE: You may need to enable cookies to reach the Microsoft Teams Webinar registration link. If it doesn’t work in your primary browser, please try another (Foxfire, Edge, or Chrome).
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Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition Annual Conference
The Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition Annual Conference 2024 will be held Oct. 9 (full day) and Oct. 10 (half day) at McNamara Alumni Center, University of Minnesota. The annual event is co-hosted this year by the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Register for this exciting conference filled with an outstanding collection of expert speakers sharing the latest evidence-based research and education on all things lactation. An optional post-conference event tour of the Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies is also planned!
Questions about the conference? Email eventplanning@mnbreastfeedingcoalition.org
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The Week Ahead
Check out upcoming trainings and meetings: Local Agency WIC Calendar
Find new job opportunities on the WIC Job Postings webpage.
Submit job postings using the WIC Job Postings survey.
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