|
School Breakfast, Lunch, and More
Numerous studies have shown that
hungry children cannot learn effectively
and that even mild malnutrition can impair physical and cognitive growth. Breakfast, lunch and
snacks
served at or after school can provide children the food they need for optimal health and learning.
WIC Can Help
families with school-aged children (including students entering kindergarten) benefit from school meal programs.
|
To Market, To Market!
It's
National Farmers' Market Week
! One of the best ways to stay well is to eat fresh, locally-grown vegetables and fruits. Don't forget that most California farmers' markets accept WIC checks, both seasonal (FMNP) and monthly (FVC) - find out more about
Farm2WIC
. Shop local, bring your family, and eat fresh!
|
Shopping at Amazon?
Support CWA without spending anything extra by using
AmazonSmile!
|
Did someone share this with you? Sign up here to get the CWA Flash directly!
|
|
 |
|
Both Chambers: August Recess and September Priorities
The Senate and House began their August recess and will remain on recess until after Labor Day. When Congress reconvenes in September, they will have a heavy lift when they attempt to focus their efforts on increasing the government's debt limit to prevent a default, and on passing one or more spending bills to fund government agencies in FY 2018. In addition, the Trump administration and congressional Republicans are promising action early this fall to overhaul the tax code and lower taxes for both corporations and individuals. Now is a great time to raise your voice for WIC with your Senators and Representatives! ACTION: Set up a WIC clinic visit and invite local press- learn how at this NWA webinar, attend town hall meetings, and connect with legislators on social media. If you need help setting up or planning for WIC site visit from a legislator, contact Sarah. Shout out to the great WIC staff who have already hosted legislators and/or their staff - visits have already been made or scheduled in 13 Congressional Districts!
|
Insure California's Uninsured
Provision of health care, especially for low-income individuals, is still threatened, despite the failure to gain votes in Congress for repeal or replace options of Obamacare. Threats to cut off
subsidies t
o state exchanges has already created turmoil and impacted the decisions of health plans in some states, with some plans pulling out and many with no choice but to raise rates. A group of bipartisan politicians and health care experts are urging for
collaborative decisions
by Sept. 30. Open enrollment is just around the corner and rates are being set without full assurance of federal support. Our voices were important in the Congressional debate and we must keep speaking up to protect health care. ACTION: Insure the Uninsured Project is holding
regional meetings
across the state through fall for updates and strategic planning. All are encouraged to come. At a minimum stay up to date on
health care updates
.
|
Fall Education Events: Register Today!
Join us
October 2-4 in Sacramento for three important and stimulating educational events.
Monday's Capitol Visits
are a unique chance to meet with state leaders and tell them about vital WIC services you provide across California. With all the uncertainties, make this a high priority event! If you've never attended, we'll be there to guide you. State WIC will host critical meetings on Tuesday. And our CWA Education Day on Wednesday,
Caring Partnerships: Leading WIC into the Future
, is designed for WIC directors and managers. Part 1 will focus on Linking WIC to Local Food and Health Networks, featuring Andrew Cheyne, CA Assn. of Food Banks, Clinica Sierra Vista and Northeast Valley Health Center WIC agencies, and community health centers plus time to discuss and strategize for more effective local partnerships. Part 2 will focus on Impactful Leadership through a Culture of Caring, featuring Rita Sever, consultant and author of
Supervision Matters
. ACTION:
Register
for all three events in one place. Visit our
Fall Educational Events webpage
and watch future Flash e-news for more info.
|
Summer Webinars Start Next Week!
Be sure and register soon for upcoming WIC Works Webinars, offering convenient and valuable continuing education for public health professionals, Thursdays at noon (Pacific Time). CWA will host
Breastfeeding-Friendly Health Centers: Success in California
August 17 especially for CHC and WIC staff wanting to improve client care, staffing and finances related to breastfeeding support. With CA Breastfeeding Coalition and CDPH, we'll cohost
California Infant Feeding Guide - What is New?
August 24. Join us to learn about resources and best practices that help improve mother and infant care. Dietetics and lactation professionals participating live can earn CE units. ACTION: Get more information and register online for each webinar on our
WIC Works Webinars page
. Stay tuned for more webinars in September.
|
Hospital Labor and Delivery Data Now on Yelp
Expecting parents in California can now shop for a maternity hospital by comparing them online.
Yelp
, which publishes crowd-sourced reviews and connects consumers to businesses, has partnered with the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) to provide information about hospitals that deliver babies to help moms-to-be and their families make a decision about where to have their babies. The hospital comparison data includes rates for
low-risk cesarean sections
,
percent of newborns fed only breast milk before going home, rates of episiotomies performed, if the hospital routinely facilitates VBACs (vaginal births after prior C-sections) and how often VBACs occur at the hospital. The information is now available on the Yelp website. A mobile app will be added soon. The data covers 250 hospitals that deliver about 500,000 babies annually. Yelp uses clinical measures that are already accessible online at a hospital quality
website
funded by the CHCF and operated by Cal Hospital Compare, a nonprofit organization.
|
Hospital Management Practices Linked to Childbirth Complications
The way
hospital labor and delivery units are managed
may put healthy women at greater risk for cesarean deliveries and hemorrhage, according to
a new study
from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Maternal health outcomes vary dramatically across hospitals, including 10-fold variation in cesarean delivery rates not well explained by women's health or preferences. In just one generation, C-sections have increase 500% in the U.S., placing women at significant risk for surgical complications. Cesarean deliveries are associated with increased rates of severe morbidity longer hospitalizations, and greater average costs than vaginal deliveries-and about 45% of these procedures may be avoidable. Researchers interviewed nurse and physician managers at 53 diverse hospitals about three areas of management (unit culture, nursing, and patient flow) and management practices were categorized as "reactive" or "proactive." Contrary to what you might expect, women receiving care at more proactive hospitals had a higher risk of cesarean delivery, postpartum hemorrhage, blood transfusion, and prolonged hospital length of stay.
|
Kids Born Early More Likely to Get Diabetes
Early term deliveries impact babies' long-term health with increased risk of diabetes and obesity-related illnesses as well as a shortened life span,
according to a new study
. "Early term" is defined as delivery between 37 and 39 weeks gestation, while full term is between 37 and 42 weeks. Babies born between 39 and 41 weeks of gestation have better outcomes than those born either before or afterward. Researchers investigated hospitalizations of children up to age 18 to determine the impact of early-term versus full-term gestation on pediatric health and hospitalizations. Children older than five exhibited significantly higher rates of type I diabetes when born early term.
|
Nutrition First Annual Conference
Congratulations to Washington State's WIC Association, Nutrition First, on their upcoming annual conference and trade show in Octover. Their theme, Celebrating What Unites Us, Embracing Our Strengths, Sharing Our Kindness, hits home for WIC. Check out their
website
for the agenda and registration details.
|
WIC Works: Read All About It!
In case you missed the outstanding webinar provided by the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB) on WIC support and outcomes for breastfeeding you can check out the
recording
. Shout out to Dr. Shannon Whaley, PHFE WIC, who spoke on the webinar about WIC outcomes, including obesity reduction. Also, kudos to the Journal of SNEB for their second special supplemental journal focusing on
WIC updates and outcomes
, in the July-Aug. supplement, with the
first supplement
coming out in 2010 shortly after the food package updates.
|
Cooking Matters App
Perfect for feeding a family on a limited budget, the new Cooking Matters app for Android features nearly 100 tasty, low-cost recipes with easy-to-follow instructions. Features include:
a user-friendly search function where you can filter recipes by ingredient, meal type, cook time, diet requirements, food allergies, and most popular;
a quick way to save your favorite recipes; the ability to add ingredients for an entire recipe to your shopping list with just one click; easy viewing of your shopping list by section of the store;
an easy meal planner feature.
Check it out and start sharing with parents and caregivers today! Printable flyers available in
English
and
Spanish
.
|
New Safe Sleep Campaign Tools
|
Child Care NOW Campaign Launch
The National Women's Law Center has launched
Child Care NOW
, a new campaign bringing child care advocates and allies together to raise awareness about issues with access to high-quality child care for families and low wages for child care providers, as well as to promote solutions among policymakers and the general public. The website includes a
story collector tool for families and child care providers
, an action tool, and advocacy resources.
|
|
|
