MN WIC fact sheet: Anemia in pregnant and postpartum women
Anemia during and after pregnancy can cause long-term health problems for mother and infant. Take a look at the updated 2025 Anemia in Pregnant and Postpartum Women Minnesota WIC Fact Sheet (PDF) and use the Talking Points for Anemia in Pregnant and Postpartum Women (PDF) to share this information with WIC program stakeholders.
WIC Advisory Group meeting
The next WIC advisory group meeting will be held virtually on Monday, Oct. 27. Refer to the WIC Advisory Group webpage for the agenda.
Meaningful Minutes: WIC Skills in 10
The FFY 2026-2027 Nutrition Education Plan nutrition goal is to enhance WIC staff assessment and counseling skills for common nutrition risks.
MN WIC will be offering 10 short, recorded trainings in FFY 2026 that focus on anemia and infant feeding/nutrition. In FFY 2027, 10 trainings will focus child feeding/nutrition and maternal nutrition. Each training will be announced in the weekly update and available on the MDH WIC website Meaningful Minutes - WIC Skills in 10
Melissa Nelson, RDN, introduces the new series in this short video Meaningful Minutes: WIC Skills in 10
We will be sharing WIC clinic practices from local agencies in the series, plus some success stories. WIC staff do make a difference in the health and lives of families, and we would like to spotlight one story! Amber Converse, Dodge County WIC Coordinator shares her experience in Meaningful Minutes: Dodge County Story of Low Hemoglobin.
Apply for the WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence
We are excited to announce that the local agency breastfeeding recognition program, the WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence, application period is open!
Apply for the WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence on the WIC Works Resource System! The 2025 application period closes December 12.
Local agencies who have operated a peer counselling program for at least one year and have met the criteria for the required core components of the WIC Breastfeeding Model for Peer Counseling are eligible for the award.
Learn more: WIC Breastfeeding Awards
Questions about applying? Join The Breastfeeding Award of Excellence Application and Commonly Missed Questions meeting, Thursday, Oct. 23 at 10 a.m. to learn more.
If you are unable to join, contact Kristen Bricko for more information.
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
Lessons in WIC: Case Studies
Description: These one-hour virtual sessions will cover real-life scenarios to help WIC CPAs recognize and manage common nutrition concerns. Instructors will guide participants through identifying risk and preparing the plan of care. Staff will move to breakout rooms to practice skills including how to assess risk, formulate questions, prioritize education, and make appropriate referrals. Resources will be offered as a takeaway for attendee’s continued learning.
Join link: Lessons in WIC: Case Studies
Trainings will be held on the third Thursday of every month from 8:30- 9:30 a.m.
- Jan.- March 2026: Anemia Case Study
- April- June 2026: Childhood Obesity Case Study
- July- Sept. 2026: Common Nutrition Concerns During Pregnancy Case Study
- Oct.- Dec. 2026: Picky Eating Case Study
Registration details: Case Study webinars for CPAs are live virtual sessions that repeats the content monthly for three months. There will be a new topic quarterly. No registration required; staff may attend the session that best meets their availability. All CPAs are encouraged to join and can expect a judgement free zone where there are no wrong answers! Sessions will not be recorded.
Continue education credits will be offered. Each individual staff member may only receive continuing education credits for one case study session each quarter.
Questions? Contact Carole Kelnhofer.
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.
Resource for WIC Families
The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a valuable resource for parents to get free information from trusted professionals on their The AAP Parenting Website. Along with all the tips and tools they provide on the website, AAP offers webinars on topics such as the upcoming Nov. 14, “Living with a Food Allergy: Tips for Families.” This is a solid resource that WIC staff can share with families and know they are hearing from the best!
Please weigh in on the Safe Sleep Survey!
The Minnesota Department of Health received a 5-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help prevent sleep-related infant deaths among American Indian and Black/African American infants in Minnesota.
We’re asking hospitals, clinics, local public health agencies, and non-profit organizations to complete a short 10–12-minute Infant Safe Sleep survey on activities currently in progress to prevent sleep-related tragedies during infancy.
All responses will remain private and will be used to shape culturally informed strategies that protect infants during sleep.
Please designate one person from your organization to complete the survey by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Oct 24.
Questions? Email Health.InfantMortality@state.mn.us. Thank you for contributing to this important work!
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