Exit counseling no longer required for women
Section 6.7: Additional Nutrition Education has been updated. The Exit Counseling policy requirement has been rescinded for all categories of women. Exit Counseling is now considered a best practice and is no longer a nutrition education requirement.
Local agency portal new and updated reports
Benefit Management
Household Utilization Check – Users can select any benefit food category and set a utilization threshold to determine households with low utilization of those benefits.
Count of Households with an eWIC Redemption by Store – Users can view the stores their participants have shopped at in the selected time frame.
Birth Outcomes
Preterm Births – Users can see annual and three-year-averaged preterm births rates by location, agency, grantee or WIC region, summary and by race and ethnicity.
WIC Birth Weight by Prenatal Participation and Race and Ethnicity – Users can see annual and three-year-averaged rates for low birth weight, very low birth weight, full term low birth weight and high birth weight.
Participation and Demographics – a county map and graph have been added to show WIC participation by race and ethnicity
Minnesota WIC designated breastfeeding expert practice group
Please join state breastfeeding staff and other WIC lactation professionals across Minnesota WIC for our new designated breastfeeding expert practice group! The goal of this group is intended for International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants and designated breastfeeding experts looking for an opportunity to connect and network with other lactation colleagues. This is a drop-in style group, no need to rsvp or attend all meetings.
The next meeting will be on Monday, March 24: 9 -10 a.m.
Use this Microsoft Teams link to join the meeting or dial in by phone:
If you have any questions reach out to kristen.bricko@state.mn.us or rosie.pierce-martin@state.mn.us.
Peer breastfeeding program
Have a new peer breastfeeding counselor? The next live peer counselor orientation is schedule for March 25. If you have any questions, please reach out to Kristen Bricko at kristen.bricko@state.mn.us.
Dietary intake during lactation
The postpartum period, often referred to as the fourth trimester, is an important time to replenish nutrient stores and to focus on overall nutrition. This is especially true when providing human milk. Read this topic of the month to learn more about nutrition needs while breastfeeding, pumping milk, or chestfeeding.
Learn more in: Dietary Intake During Lactation (PDF)
Local agency staff should talk to their supervisor for approval before registering for training.
Refer to WIC Annual Required Trainings for staff training requirements.
Upcoming trainings
2025 monthly champions calls
Our first-ever participant-centered services (PCS) champions call is scheduled for Tuesday, March 11.
These calls will be held on the second Tuesday of each month from 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Bernadette Flores will be leading the calls. The calls are an open and welcoming PCS forum where together we discuss successes and challenges, work on skills, identify efficiencies, foster team spirit, and celebrate success. No registration required.
William Moore lunch and learn series
William Moore, CPE, is providing a three-part virtual lunch and learn series on fathers and their role in the family unit. William will present to staff across the Minnesota Department of Health and community partners who support the health of the family unit. Please join us as we learn about our role in supporting all fathers across Minnesota.
Next week: Improving the Health of WIC Participants through Nutrition Education: Enhancing Nutrition Education Skills
Register for Improving the Health of WIC Participants through Nutrition Education: Enhancing Nutrition Education Skills.
When: Wednesday, March 12, 8:30- 10 a.m.
Presenter: Melissa Nelson, MPH, RDN, LD
Join us to examine ways that WIC staff can leverage critical thinking to navigate complex situations, tailor nutrition education, and explore techniques for developing high quality individual nutrition care plans.
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On demand trainings
Prerecorded: Improving the Health of WIC Participants through Nutrition Education: Practical Applications
Watch any time by logging into the Minnesota Department of Health Learning Center and search for “Prerecorded Improving the Health of WIC Participants through Nutrition Education: Practical Applications.”
Presenter: Melissa Nelson, MPH, RDN, LD
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.
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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