Medical assistance and SNAP texts resume Monday, Nov. 24
Minnesota WIC sends quarterly text messages promoting the program to Medical Assistance (MA) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, who qualify for WIC.
The November quarterly text messages were originally scheduled to start the week of Nov. 3 but were paused during the shutdown. We plan to start sending them out the week of Monday, Nov. 24.
Few reminders:
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.
2026 WIC advisory group openings – applications due Friday, Dec. 12
If you’re looking for an opportunity to be more involved on WIC policy issues, priorities and activities, consider being a member of our WIC advisory group. As an advisory group member, you represent a group of agencies and will be asked to share the unique perspective, challenges, and concerns of your group with the WIC management team and your colleagues.
Openings for 2026 include:
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Regional representatives - Southeast and Metro.
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Caseload representatives – Groups 2 and 6, CHB administrators, LPHA, and Tribal agency.
Who is eligible to apply? WIC coordinators. (We encourage you to discuss this with your supervisor to obtain their support and/or approval.)
How to apply: If interested, fill out the WIC Advisory Group Application. If more than one person applies to represent the group, the WIC coordinators in that group will vote.
Details:
- Meetings are held quarterly on fourth Mondays (January, April, July, and October)
- Virtual on TEAMS.
- 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- If new, an overview/orientation to advisory group will be offered.
- Terms are three years for regional and caseload representatives.
- Current members can apply for another term if interested.
- More information - such as terms, member definitions, roles and responsibilities - can be found on our WIC Advisory Group webpage.
Questions about participating? You can contact a current advisory group member or Tina Breitenbach.
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: Join us for a one-hour virtual session where we will cover real-life scenarios to help WIC competent professional authorities recognize and manage common nutrition concerns. Content will repeat monthly with a new topic quarterly. No registration is required; join the session that fits your availability. Sessions will not be recorded.
Join link: Lessons in WIC: Case Studies
Training will be held on the third Thursday of every month from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
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Jan. - March 2026: Anemia Case Study
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April - June 2026: Childhood Obesity Case Study
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July - Sept. 2026: Common Nutrition Concerns During Pregnancy Case Study
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Oct. - Dec. 2026: Picky Eating Case Study
NOTE: If you plan to bring this training back to your team, we recommend that at least one member of your staff attend the live presentation to support a train-the-trainer approach.
Please see our Lessons in WIC: Case Studies webpage for more information.
Questions? Contact Carole Kelnhofer.
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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder Training
Register for: Understanding FASD: Strategies for Supporting Families and Raising Awareness
Presenter: PROOF Alliance, a nonprofit organization solely focused on prenatal alcohol exposure and FASD.
When: Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, from 9 -10 a.m.
This presentation will provide an understanding of both Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (PAE), how they impact brain development, ways to avoid stigma, and how to engage families in conversations to provide support. The presentation was developed for WIC and Family Home Visiting program staff to support them in the work that they do with families.
Questions: Contact Carole Kelnhofer
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On demand trainings
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Great Lakes Breastfeeding Webinar
Register for the November Great Lakes Breastfeeding Webinar "Educating Dads, Partners, and Family Members on Breastfeeding Support During the Prenatal and Postpartum Period" presented by Arturo Gregory, MS, RD. Continuing education credits available! New and existing Great Lakes Breastfeeding Webinars can be viewed on-demand at glbw.thinkific.com.
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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.
Paid Leave is coming to Minnesota
Starting Jan. 1, 2026, Minnesota Paid Leave will provide payments and job protections to Minnesotans when they need time off for some of life's most important moments, like welcoming a new child into their home.
New and expecting parents, including those who welcomed a child in 2025, can receive up to 12 weeks of Bonding Leave (a type of Paid Leave) within the first 12 months of welcoming a child into their home through birth, adoption, or foster placement. Medical Leave (another type of Paid Leave) may also be available for birthing parents who need time to recover from pregnancy or birth.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is hosting a webinar for new and expecting parents that local agencies can share with WIC participants:
Read about paid leave for birth and bonding.
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Resource: Acetaminophen use in pregnancy
The Minnesota Department of Health created a new resource addressing Acetaminophen use in pregnancy (PDF).
Local agencies can reference this resource if they are getting questions on this topic.
Thursday, Nov. 27 and Friday, Nov. 28- Thanksgiving (state offices closed)
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