July 19, 2024

Yearly Civil Rights Training

The WIC session will occur on August 13^th from 9am-11am. We will be conducting our yearly civil rights training and reviewing the new food package information. This session will not be broadcasted via zoom, but all the information will be provided to staff who are not able to attend the conference.

If you do not plan on attending the conference, you must complete the self-paced training in eLearn by September 30^th.  This module can be found under “local agency resources”, “civil rights”, and then by clicking on “FY24 Civil Rights Training.” Once you have completed the training you will be able to access the certificate. Send your certificate to montanawicprogram@mt.gov to ensure that your FY24 civil rights requirements are met.

Yearly Continuing Education Credits (CEC) Reminder

WIC staff are required to complete continuing education credits yearly based on the number of hours working in WIC.

• Full time (20 hours+ per week): 12 credits yearly
• Part time (19 hours or less per week): 6 credits yearly

Credits are due by September 30^th. As a reminder, they can be submitted by filling out the form in eLearn and emailed to montanawicprogram@mt.gov, or through this link: https://mdphhs.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bdVRsYYQHv5N39Q

FY25 CVB

The fruit and vegetable cash value benefit will remain the same for FY25. There will be no need to update food prescriptions for Oct 1 with a new food item.

• $26 for child participants
• $47 for pregnant and postpartum participants
• $52 for fully and substantially breastfeeding participants

New Employee Training

New employee training will be held September 10-12, in Helena in-person. If you have any staff that need to attend, please complete the registration form and submit it to montanawicprogram@mt.gov. The deadline to register is August 9^th.

New Employee Training Registration Form

Nutrition Courses

Santa Fe Community College has upcoming online nutrition courses. Please see the attached flyer for information.

Santa Fe Community College Flyer

Soy Formula

The state’s soy formula contract expires in September of this year and the bidding process is still underway. At this time, you will not be able to issue October benefits to  any infant receiving soy formula. Once the contract has been awarded, the state office will notify local agencies of the correct food item to issue.

Weekly Risk Code Highlight

Risk code 114 – Overweight or At Risk of Overweight (Infant and Children)     

• Overweight for Children:
  • 2-5 year- ≥85^th and < 95^th percentile Body Mass Index (BMI) or weight-for-stature as plotted on the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2-20 years gender specific growth charts.
• At Risk of Overweight:
  • <12 months (infants of obese mother)-Biological mother with a BMI ≥30 at the time of conception or at any point in the first trimester of pregnant.
  • ≥12 months (child of obese mother)-Biological mother with a BMI ≥30 at the time of certification.
  • Birth to 5 years (infant or child of obese father)-Biological father with a BMI ≥30 at the time of certification.

What WIC Can Do:

• Provide individualized nutrition education in an easy-to-understand format that is appropriate for the learning level of the participant/caregiver. Most education materials should be written for a 5th to 7th grade reading level. Be sensitive to the unique learning needs and style of the participant/caregiver, which may mean using food models, posters, and handouts.
• Provide referrals to medical providers, Registered Dietitians, and other services, if available, in their community.
• Providing individualized food packages, tailored to meet the needs of participants.
• Promote food choices of high nutritional quality while avoiding unnecessary or excessive amounts of calorie rich foods and beverages and reducing inactivity (like decreasing sedentary TV viewing).

WIC 50th Fun Fact

Nutrition education is the program benefit that sets WIC apart from the other Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition assistance programs. The WIC Program is the only FNS nutrition assistance program with legislative and regulatory requirements to provide nutrition education to participants. In addition to nutrition education, WIC provides supplemental foods, breastfeeding education and support, and screening referrals to other health and welfare services such as immunizations and lead testing in children. 

Previous week's WIC 50th Fun Fact

Introduced to the WIC Program in 2007, the fruit and vegetable cash-value benefit (CVB) provides families with money to purchase fruits and vegetables as part of their WIC food package. The fruits and vegetables purchased using the CVB provide improved health of program participants through increased intake of target nutrients of concern such as vitamins A, C, and K as well as minerals like Magnesium. There are also the added benefits of increased variety of fruits and vegetables that participants consume, increased sales to WIC-eligible food vendors, and a positive impact for local economies.