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For those who are currently WIC participants or WIC educators there may be LOTS of great nutritional changes in the horizon for the food package issued to babies. WIC is the US Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, a program that is designed to offer nutritious foods and nutrition education to income-eligible pregnant, breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to the age of five. 

In this episode, I had the opportunity to interview the National WIC Association’s Senior Manager of Public Health, Darlena Birch, MBA, RDN who talks about the proposed changes underway regarding the package of food provided to WIC participants. Darlena focuses on explaining the recommendations to reduce the amount of jarred infant food and replace it with an increased amount of fresh fruits and vegetables which would be a great opportunity for participants to offer their babies a greater variety of foods.

SUMMARY OF EPISODE

In this episode I’m interviewing Darlena Birch, MBA, RDN who discusses:

• What the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program is, who it provides its services to and how it operates.

• Who is in charge of creating recommendations for package changes and who is responsible for finalizing any changes made to further improve the nutrition and health of the income-eligible women, new mothers, infants, and young children.  

• The current proposed food package changes that have been made for infants 6-11 months of age that are enrolled on the WIC program, in particular, the reduction of jarred infant foods and increase of fresh fruits and vegetables.

ABOUT THE GUEST

• Darlena Birch, MBA, RDN is a dietitian who is the Senior Manager of Public Health Nutrition for the National Women Infants and Children Association (NWA) which is a non-profit education arm and advocacy voice of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

• Darlena has worked at various levels within the WIC program from the local level to the policy-making making side.

• Their policy team helps to ensure WIC receives adequate funding and is able to meet with Congress to talk about the importance of the program.

LINKS FROM EPISODE

To follow Darlena Birch, MBA, RDN:

• FOLLOW on Twitter @dgbirch88

WIC resources mentioned in the episode:

• Visit the National WIC Association website

• Visit the NWA Advocacy Central HERE

• Download the NASEM Report “Review of WIC Food Packages”

• Follow-up and join NWA in submitting your public comment for issues regarding the WIC program

TRANSCRIPT OF EPISODE

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