<p id="E96" class="qowt-stl-NoSpacing"><span id="E97">The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the extension of more than a dozen flexibilities ensuring participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) continue receiving the food and health support they need during the COVID-19 pandemic. </span></p> <p id="E98" class="qowt-stl-NoSpacing"><span id="E99">USDA’s proactive extension of these waivers throughout the national public health emergency will ensure nutritionally at-risk mothers, babies, and children receive the critical nutrition benefits and services they count on in a safe manner while allowing the program to operate based on local conditions throughout the pandemic.</span></p> <p id="E100" class="qowt-stl-NoSpacing"><span id="E101">“USDA has been extremely steadfast in offering flexibilities to ensure Americans in need continue to receive food assistance during COVID-19. President Trump has demonstrated his commitment to supporting Americans in need during the pandemic and setting them up for success as our nation reopens and recovers,” said Secretary Sonny Perdue. “WIC provides vital services to new and expectant mothers, infants, and children and we are committed to making it as easy as possible for them to receive the support they need during the pandemic.”</span></p> <p id="E102" class="qowt-stl-NoSpacing"><span id="E103">Without </span><span id="E104">the recent </span><span id="E105">action, these essential flexibilities would have expired at the end of this month.</span></p> <p id="E106" class="qowt-stl-NoSpacing"><span id="E107">WIC provides supplemental foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, and health care referrals to low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, </span><span id="E109">infants</span><span id="E111"> and children under five who are determined by health professionals to be at nutritional risk.</span></p> <p id="E112" class="qowt-stl-NoSpacing"><span id="E113">The </span><span id="E114">USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has made maximum use of existing program flexibilities and the waiver authority provided by Congress to make it as easy as possible for children and families to participate in WIC– and all of the department’s nutrition assistance programs – during the COVID-19 health emergency.</span></p> <p id="E115" class="qowt-stl-NoSpacing"><span id="E116">The WIC waivers being extended allow for:</span></p> <p id="E117" class="qowt-stl-NoSpacing"><span id="E118">Participants to be approved for WIC without being physically present in a local </span><span id="E120">office;</span></p> <p id="E122" class="qowt-stl-NoSpacing"><span id="E123">Remote issuance of benefits to any </span><span id="E125">participant;</span></p> <p id="E127" class="qowt-stl-NoSpacing"><span id="E128">Flexibility in food package requirements, including dairy, grains, vegetables, and infant foods; and</span></p> <p id="E129" class="qowt-stl-NoSpacing"><span id="E130">Additional options for pick-up of food packages.</span></p> <p id="E131" class="qowt-stl-NoSpacing"><span id="E132">More information on the WIC waivers extended, along with those that have been approved since the start of COVID-19, is available at </span><a id="E133" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001D8WOTrgRAsaiq0IYgQz2VbOae90TLL-Se36_h_Ss9WSq3m2pb6rVl0zJpc4Yp_IMTzqU36JZceJP3Ki3Dr3qItQgqlh49xb7Tx9rIxm_1sTjq-Ujvc-lp_WOek3fjY9fhTGLem-x8CgANn6l_4teJ-KiWk-poF2dq4sc3bo0bVKNGqS_vzwDdh1QV7yl51hGoAkXbx2i6JPWF95Up4fiW3pJxNr1Ne_LqMoF-BLD3iEaSw5T-fhmU_X_17SBEdnLbefi6oKSaYSzN585poeTnJsaHn8pc0YRBRr9iA9VRHZK__B1ZrC6_BxCb_PRiqyQxWJPaJOxKwTGAdQRUWdKbWV4YOg8HTONRM0n4XFZvlq6aSMZefQJ7xj61kMzRZvWsZkWt_WhF-h-H_uvmSr6hlxUgGSbDikOW0xIyl42MazNCj-airFyAL642q1uugbpVyttO4Z4Zv0onsUAr-W0O13-_0MEEIdfw47DeJCQ8gDnJPMwy1viaYvW7L6hnPL5XunbBaELmedJBgQWkIJUdQ8bEVkcXdiiJ0bYk5YE6R9d-RX0qjV71A==&c=kUNHbz2ClKxcDi_Caw-ocpbw0O6Vme5OgbBsty3xlr4sY3tx_FpBLQ==&ch=qv5njeczNKHnfyP8zuFDf0R332IduRx5NsIZhWMisYbypzvf8uHF2w==" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span id="E134" class="qowt-stl-Hyperlink">www.fns.usda.gov/coronavirus</span></a><span id="E135"> and on Twitter at </span><a id="E136" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001D8WOTrgRAsaiq0IYgQz2VbOae90TLL-Se36_h_Ss9WSq3m2pb6rVl0zJpc4Yp_IMll-IaACpcnjCtAVwg0G3RHiBfzcNotfn9RdmsdGd0t4z8tMe8v6Sj-4Y_DDZCU5YmNKhSgHvn-jkqnRZo4rTWFN99t5ut5uQiFVyGoxZ3IWjGitIRvGq70eU7mTaXherbol7sWv9RWvQD7GZv-ZU_-hm_l4rZBM06_YLw2gI1GoaMWNjppGHwY_5k0ivrFXJualPhT3A60W4jwWsEcRjDwHZq5ITd_GdCfdYNACSVEjcXQr4dTxY074z0PHJTzVsuAmxRodQhfO0i9BXjbSpCUbdvHEu0c3IFQpH3q0nMClw2RGb3OKo2J1jsiKrLKEKw3lg3Dy-dKtbKdazE3dnMFLj1wsgpheARCFusHIWqj9lJVc9evX9LbChhmbamizKJBd2juU4y8dVONoXS1Sva0EGreAVxElP7xBZr8AhN_5kQ25wVJtx6cEDSBbsUgDPlraLhTibfvYU964ENbQqyYjEFHSZhVbM&c=kUNHbz2ClKxcDi_Caw-ocpbw0O6Vme5OgbBsty3xlr4sY3tx_FpBLQ==&ch=qv5njeczNKHnfyP8zuFDf0R332IduRx5NsIZhWMisYbypzvf8uHF2w==" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span id="E137" class="qowt-stl-Hyperlink">@USDANutrition</span></a><span id="E138">.</span></p> <p id="E139" class="qowt-stl-NoSpacing"></p>
