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August: 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-age children (including students entering kindergarten) benefit from school meal programs.
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Making Connections
Want to feel happier today?
Try talking to a stranger.
Although the mood boost of talking to strangers may seem fleeting, the research on well-being, scientists say, suggests that a happy life is made up of a high frequency of positive events. Even small positive experiences - chatting with a stranger in an elevator - can make a difference.
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Final Public Charge Rule Announced, Challenged
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security announced the final rule on public charge and entered it into the Federal Register. The final rule expands limitations on legal immigrants, penalizing individuals who are seeking legal status if they accessed SNAP, Medicaid, or housing subsidies. WIC is not included in the final rule. Several states (including California), counties, nonprofits, and healthcare organizations have already filed legal challenges against the rule, which is scheduled to go into effect on October 15. This litigation could delay implementation of the policy change, if the courts grant a temporary stay. NWA has created resources to assist clinics with counseling concerned participants, as has the Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition. You can get the most recent news on the rule and other proposals that would harm immigrant families from the California Immigrant Policy Center.
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State Policy Update
This is the time of year when the legislative season can heat up. The appropriations committees of the Assembly and Senate meet through Aug. 30 for final decisions on bills. If amendments are taken here, bills must go back to the original house for approval. Upon return from the Labor Day holiday, bills that move out of appropriations go to a floor vote. Negotiations and voting continue through Sept. 13th, then Gov. Newsom has until Oct. 13 to sign or veto. A number of bills CWA has supported are currently in appropriations, under "suspense," as negotiations continue. We are hopeful for the success of a number of important bills addressing lactation accommodation, better linkages between Medi-Cal and WIC, immigrant protections, access to CalFresh and child care meals and more.
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Submit Your WIC Watch Stories - Only 2 Weeks Left!
CWA is seeking submissions for the Fall edition of the WIC Watch! WIC Watch articles highlight CWA's education events, local agency partnerships, what to expect with eWIC, staff changes, breastfeeding events, and WIC Worksite Wellness strategies. Do you work for a California WIC agency? We welcome your contributions! Tell us about your best practices, events, and success stories. ACTION: Contact Sarah with your article ideas, photos, and best practices any time. For the 2019 Annual Conference Edition, the deadline is September 6.
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Fall Conference
Just a reminder, we will not have a Fall conference this year. The many important trainings and regional roll-outs for California's WIC Card and WIC WISE MIS system are full steam ahead and everyone is engaged in that work. We know you gain a lot from in-person meetings with your colleagues across the state, and we look forward to seeing you at the Spring Conference, April 5-8, 2020, in San Diego.
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Put WIC on the Map!
Since we won't be having a Fall conference this year, we are trying something new for Capitol Visit Day - we'll be putting WIC on the map collectively, kicking off with a webinar on September 17th! As a WIC staff member, you are one of the people who make WIC Work throughout the state. Let your representatives know who you are and what you do, inform them about the issues that are important in your region, and help them understand the needs of WIC participants. This webinar is a wonderful opportunity to learn how to get involved, get active, and put WIC on the map! ACTION: Register now!
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"Mediterranean Diet" May Reduce Risk of Gestational Diabetes
Following the "Mediterranean diet" - consuming more nuts, olive oil, fruits and unrefined grains, while reducing intake of animal fats and sugar - during pregnancy has the potential to reduce weight gain in pregnancy and the risk of gestational diabetes, according to a new clinical trial. The results, published in the journal PLOS Medicine and funded by Barts Charity, show that having a Mediterranean-style diet (including 30g of mixed nuts per day and extra virgin olive oil) led to a 35% lower risk of developing diabetes in pregnancy, and on average 1.25 Kg less weight gain in pregnancy, compared to those who received routine antenatal care. The study suggests a Mediterranean-style diet could be an effective intervention for women who enter pregnancy with pre-existing obesity, chronic hypertension or raised lipid levels.
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Eating More Gluten Tied to Increased Risk of Celiac Disease
A study published Tuesday in the journal JAMA suggests that eating higher-than-normal levels of gluten during the first five years of life can increase a child's likelihood of developing celiac disease, a digestive disorder that damages the small intestine. Higher gluten intake was associated with a 6.1% increased risk of celiac disease autoimmunity, an immunological response to gluten, and a 7.2% increased risk of celiac disease per each additional gram or gluten per day, according to the study. Researchers evaluated more than 6,600 newborns in the United States, Finland, Germany and Sweden born between 2004 and 2010. All of the children carried a genotype associated with Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease.
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Black Breastfeeding Week
Next week is the 7th annual Black Breastfeeding Week. This year, the theme is "The World is Yours: Imagine. Innovate. Liberate!" The voices of black families have been traditionally overlooked in innovation spaces and that's why we need YOU to bring your fire, passion, and brilliant ideas to revolutionize Black breastfeeding in the United States. ACTION: Find local events at www.blackbreastfeedingweek.org, and check out the top five reasons we need a Black Breastfeeding Week.
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American Academy of Pediatrics' Statement on Racism's Impact on Child and Adolescent Health
The American Academy of Pediatrics has released "The Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health," a policy statement to provide an evidence-based document focused on the role of racism in child and adolescent development and health outcomes. The AAP's hope is that acknowledging the role of racism in child and adolescent health, pediatricians and other pediatric health professionals will be able to proactively engage in strategies to optimize clinical care, workforce development, professional education, systems engagement, and research in a manner designed to reduce the health effects of structural, personally mediated, and internalized racism and improve the health and well-being of all children, adolescents, emerging adults, and their families. AAP has also published a new resource for parents and caregivers titled "Talking to Children About Racial Bias." The resource highlights strategies to help children deal with racial bias, and tips for talking about racial differences and racism.
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Mapping Tool for Food Insecurity
A mapping tool called Population Health Assessment Engine, or PHATE, identifies which neighborhoods are at greater risk for food insecurity, according to findings recently published in Annals of Family Medicine. The mapping tool utilizes data gleaned from electronic health records that are part of the PRIME registry, and created a Community Vital Sign for each patient, using a neighborhood social deprivation index to evaluate a patient's risk for poor outcomes, such as mortality and diabetes. Researchers say that as of August 2018, data from 270 patients who screened positive for food insecurity had been uploaded to PHATE, allowing researchers to devote resources to the areas that need it most.
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Updated Breastfeeding Rates Released
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released updated breastfeeding rates. The results page, "Breastfeeding Among U.S. Children Born 2009-2016, CDC National Immunization Survey," shows that based on 2016 births, 83.8% of infants were ever breastfed, 47.5% of infants are exclusively breastfeeding at 3 months, and 25.4% of infants are exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months. The rates are also broken down by state and socio-demographics like race, gender, maternal education, and WIC participation status.
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