WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National WIC Association (NWA)—WIC’s nonprofit arm driving innovation and advocacy to strengthen the WIC program—released its 2023 Landscape Assessment Report: “Using technology to improve the enrollment and certification experience for participants and WIC agencies.”
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federal assistance program that benefits 6.4 million mothers and children. To better understand the current state of WIC technology, NWA prepared its 2023 Landscape Assessment Report in partnership with Nava Public Benefit Corporation (Nava PBC).
The 2023 Report examines the current state of WIC enrollment and certification technology while drawing upon the 2020 Landscape Report, which looked at the impact of COVID-19 on that technology. The 2020 Report revealed that despite WIC’s technology updates in many program areas, certification and enrollment received less nationwide attention, presenting a unique opportunity for service improvement.
The 2023 Report is available on the WIC Hub, a digital collection of WIC-related information and resources.
The following statement is attributed to Dr. Jamila Taylor, President & CEO of the National WIC Association:
"The 2023 Landscape Report highlights WIC's many advancements during the COVID-19 pandemic and identifies the obstacles we still need to overcome. The program has made significant strides with technology, but it is clear that a modern WIC is needed to meet families where they are.
“During the pandemic, WIC was allowed to provide remote services, and program staff adapted quickly to implement new technology. This resulted in an increase in enrollment and positive feedback from staff - enhancing the WIC participant experience for all families. The solutions outlined in the report address the need to meet gaps in access to technology for families enrolled in WIC, whether it is literacy, access to technological tools, or language barriers. WIC's digital divide remains a significant challenge, especially for participants in rural areas who struggle to benefit from the technological advances WIC has made.
“WIC is at a crucial point in its need for further innovation and investment in technology. By investing in technology and leveraging innovative state and local agency efforts, federal support can enhance technology and health equity for millions of families across the country."
The following statement is attributed to Lauren Peterson, Senior Product Manager at Nava:
“Overall, we found that many WIC State Agencies have implemented new technology to support participant-centered services, but several agencies still face the barriers to modernization that we outlined in 2020. We’re especially excited to see the progress made toward providing remote services even after the public health emergency expires, and recommend implementing policies and systems that support equitable access to technology modernization across WIC State Agencies.”
Read the full report here.
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The National WIC Association (NWA) is the nonprofit membership organization for State and local providers of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). NWA is the go-to voice of and for WIC staff at more than 12,000 WIC locations across the country who work to support more than 6.4 million mothers and young children. For over three decades, NWA has worked to build broad, bipartisan consensus for WIC’s programmatic goals and public health mission. NWA provides member-driven advocacy; education, guidance, and support to WIC staff; and drive innovation to strengthen WIC as we work toward a nation of healthier women, children, and their families. Learn more at www.nwica.org.