The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a $29 million investment in workforce development for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

This funding will support eight innovative projects aimed at addressing workforce challenges within WIC agencies, enhancing diversity and improving the program's services and outreach.

WIC, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, continues to be one of the nation's most effective public health programs. It serves low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, as well as infants and children up to age five, by providing access to nutritious food, nutrition education, breastfeeding support and referrals to healthcare and social services.

The USDA's initiative, part of a joint effort between the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), is designed to develop sustainable solutions to the WIC workforce's challenges. The goal is to improve the cultural competency of the WIC workforce, boost enrollment in the program and increase the utilization of its benefits, including nutrition education and breastfeeding support.

"WIC has a decades-long history of providing high-quality services, and these new investments will provide tremendous opportunities to bolster and support a strong WIC workforce," said NIFA Director Dr. Manjit Misra. "Not only will these efforts result in a WIC workforce that better reflects the program's participants, but they also support USDA's priority of advancing racial justice, equity and opportunity."

Among the eight funded projects is a collaboration with the University of Minnesota, which will focus on identifying effective staffing models for WIC agencies in diverse contexts. The project will assess the necessary roles and responsibilities for WIC positions at all levels, and help leaders and supervisors develop strategies to support staffing changes and monitor their impact.

Another key project will be led by the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, which will focus on creating scholarships and funding programs, particularly targeting people of color, to support careers in WIC and related fields. The goal is to increase career advancement opportunities for underrepresented groups in the WIC workforce.

These efforts are aligned with the Biden-Harris administration's National Strategy to integrate nutrition and health, which was released alongside the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health in September 2022.

The WIC Workforce National Strategy aims to not only enhance the program's diversity and cultural competency but also to make the program more responsive to the needs of eligible but unserved populations.

For more information about WIC and ongoing modernization efforts, visit the USDA FNS website.