WIC Weekly Newsletter: November 8th, 2024

Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services sent this bulletin at 11/08/2024 08:34 AM MST

November 8, 2024

Store Shelf Tags No Longer Allowed

Retailers will soon be notified that the use of WIC Approved Item shelf tags will no longer be allowed.

Increasing reports by participants and retailers about shelf tags not being on the correct item have prompted the program to cease using them. While we have heard from some WIC customers and store staff that appreciate them, the vast majority of tags cannot be maintained on the correct items over time and create confusion at the checkout. Often, a lot of confusion. Stores will soon be notified to remove their tags and use the app instead. No new shelf tags will be sent to retailers. Our goal is to improve the WIC shopping experience by easing the burden on retailers and encouraging more participants to use the WIC Shopper App.

State Office Closed: November 11, 2024

The state office will be closed November 11th, 2024 for Veterans Day.

Weekly Risk Code Highlight

Risk code 121 – Short Stature or At Risk of Short Stature

Short Stature
- Birth to <24 months
  - ≤2.3^rd percentile length-for-age as plotted on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Birth to 24 months gender specific growth charts.
- 2-5 years
  - ≤ 5th percentile stature-for-age as plotted on the 2000 CDC age/gender specific growth charts.
- At Risk of Short Stature
  - Birth to < 24 months
    - >2.3^rd percentile and ≤5^th percentile length-for-age as plotted on the CDC Birth to 24 months gender specific growth.
  - 2-5 years
    - >5^th percentile and ≤10^th percentile stature-for-age as plotted on the 2000 CDC age/gender specific growth charts.

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.
Assist families in improving dietary intake to promote healthy growth and development.
Monitor growth.

WIC 50th Fun Fact

Nebraska: Nebraska WIC was the first in the Region to offer online shopping to participants at Hy-Vee stores through their partnership with Iowa and Minnesota WIC. The project was funded by a sub-grant through the Center for Nutrition and Health Impact.

Montana: The first two WIC clinics in Montana were Fort Peck and Northern Cheyenne Tribal Program in 1974. The picture below is a participant shopping from the Fort Peck Tribal WIC clinic.