Updates
Report added:
- Utilization by household spoken language - provides agency trends of utilization by language and interpreter status.
Update on upcoming report:
- Utilization by zip code - this report will be delayed until further notice due to back-end data fixes needed to be completed by our eWIC contractor.
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Free prenatal vitamins for Minnesotans
Vitamin Angels is a program that supports pregnant individuals that are currently experiencing limited to no access to prenatal vitamins and minerals. Participants may visit the pharmacy at any of the participating Walgreen’s locations to receive free prenatal vitamins, along with nutrition education information. For pharmacy locations: Prenatal Vitamins and Minerals Program Minnesota.
If you find that your Local Agency is too far from one of these established distribution sites, your agency or public health department could apply to be a distributor for this program: Vitamin Angels Grant Application. If you have additional questions about their program see their website: Vitamin Angels or contact the program via email: domesticprograms@vitaminangels.org.
Food Insecurity
Food insecurity occurs when a family lacks reliable access to nutritionally adequate and safe food. Families may experience food insecurity for a variety of reasons, any of which can be improved by offering support and providing resources. Read Food Insecurity - Topic of the Month (PDF) for tips to support families experiencing food insecurity.
Reminder
Minnesota WIC sends quarterly text messages promoting the program to Medical Assistance (MA) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, who qualify for WIC.
For the balance of 2025, texts will go out the first Monday in November.
WIC uses lists of new MA and SNAP recipients who are younger than five, are pregnant or are six months postpartum for the text outreach efforts. We carefully review the data to make sure outreach texts go to potential WIC participants, not current participants.
- The texts are sent to recipients over five weeks.
- The texts are available in English, Spanish, and Somali.
- There will be two versions of the MA text message, one tailored for pregnant MA enrollees and one for all other MA enrollees. There will be one version of the SNAP text message.
For more details, refer to our quarterly medical assistance and SNAP texting on our WIC Communications and Outreach webpage.
Local agency staff should talk to their supervisor for approval before registering for training.
Refer to WIC Annual Required Trainings for staff training requirements.
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.
Betty Hubbard Maternal and Child Health Leadership Award call for nominations
Do you know an outstanding maternal and child health hero?
The Minnesota Department of Health and the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Advisory Committee are now accepting nominations for the 2025 Betty Hubbard MCH Leadership Award. The Betty Hubbard Award was established in 1990 to honor and memory of Betty Hubbard, a longtime advocate for health needs of mothers, children, and families.
This award recognizes individuals, teams, or organizations in Minnesota making significant contributions to maternal and child health outcomes. The award is presented in two categories:
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Statewide level: recognizing a nominee’s contributions to maternal and child health with outcomes at a statewide level.
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Community level: recognizing contributions to maternal and child health with outcomes that impact an entire community or a targeted population within a community.
The nomination process consists of three easy steps:
Submission deadline is Oct. 22, 2025.
To learn more about the Betty Hubbard MCH Leadership Award, the nomination process and how to nominate that exceptional person or organization visit: Betty Hubbard MCH Leadership Award or send an email with your questions to health.mch@state.mn.us.
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