Grant Funding to Provide a Modern WIC Experience

To support state agencies as they work to modernize WIC, FNS awarded a total of $23,100,000 in FY 22 Technology/Service Delivery Improvement grants to 66 WIC state agencies. In FY 23, FNS awarded an additional ~$100M in WIC Modernization grants. 

State agencies can use these grants to improve technology and service delivery in a variety of ways, including implementing or expanding text messaging, improving websites and apps, developing online WIC applications, improving support to families with limited English language skills, and implementing data sharing or data matching projects to streamline enrollment. 

Related Resources

• OMB Memorandum: Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience (9/22/2023)
• FY 2023 WIC Modernization Grant Notice of Funding Availability: WIC Modernization Grant (5/22/2023)
• FY 22 ARPA WIC Technology/Service Delivery Improvement: Communications, Data and Metrics Grant Summaries (12/12/2022)
• White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health (9/28/2022)
• FY 2022 Notice of Funding Availability: WIC Technology for a Better WIC Experience - Communications, Data and Metrics Grant (8/08/22)
• Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government (12/13/2021) 

Streamlining Enrollment in WIC

We want to make it easier for eligible families to enroll in WIC. WIC-eligible families that already participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Medicaid are already income-eligible for WIC. But many don’t know and/or don’t participant. At the federal level, USDA is working with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help state agencies streamline WIC enrollment through state-level referrals.

In 2023, USDA released a policy memo outlining how state agencies can reduce the burden on WIC applicants and participants by sharing data and referrals with other benefit programs with similar income eligibility (e.g., SNAP and Medicaid) and with other entities, including doctors.

In September, USDA awarded a grant of approximately $10 million to Johns Hopkins University to support data matching and referral efforts at the state agency level.  

Key Partners

• Johns Hopkins University
• Benefits Data Trust  
• National WIC Association 

Related Resources

• Press Release: FNS awards cooperative agreement to streamline enrollment in WIC through data matching (9/21/23)
• FY 2023 Notice of Funding Availability: WIC Modernization Grant (5/22/2023)
• Policy Memo: Streamlining Certification Documentation Guidance (5/10/23)
• Policy Memo: Data Sharing to Improve Outreach and Streamline Certification in WIC (4/27/23)
• Request for Applications: WIC Enrollment via State-Level Referral Data Matching with SNAP and Medicaid (4/27/23)