DEPARTMENT: Public Health
FILE TYPE: Regular Information
TITLE
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Women, Infant, And Children Program Update
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Receive an update on the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) Program.
SUMMARY
Pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 375A.04, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners is, and performs the duties and exercises the powers of, a community health board under Minn. Stat. Ch. 145A, and is required to govern and administer those functions as fully as other Dakota County functions, including the responsibility to prevent disease and to promote and protect the public health of Dakota County residents.
Since 1978, Dakota County has managed the federally funded Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC). The WIC program aims to protect the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk. WIC goals are achieved by providing nutrition education, supporting breastfeeding, connecting participants to health and social services programs and providing nutritious foods to supplement diets. To be eligible for WIC, participants must meet categorical requirements, live in Minnesota, and meet income guidelines. Approximately 90 percent of WIC participants qualify for WIC because of receiving Medical Assistance (MA) benefits. Participants are also eligible if they meet the WIC income guidelines, which is 185 percent of the federal poverty levels per household.
The Dakota County WIC program is primarily funded by a federal grant that is passed through from the Minnesota Department of Health. Dakota County was awarded $1,385,000 for the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2025, which is based on a formula of $20.00 per participant in 2024. Dakota County’s WIC caseload for FFY 2024 was 69,151 participants, which is the cumulative total of all WIC participants who received food benefits each month.
Dakota County WIC serves a complex caseload with 17 percent of participants being considered “high-risk”, and cultural and language diversity increasing each year. Case management of high-risk participants, such as pregnant participants who are gaining weight outside the recommendations, parents and infants experiencing lactation concerns, or children with low hemoglobin, requires the expertise of a Registered Dietitian to address these issues. Additionally, clients who are non-English speakers or are new to the country require additional time to ensure communication is clear and their unique needs are met. To accommodate the shifting of caseload complexity, WIC has carefully adjusted operations to ensure high-quality services.
The Dakota County WIC program continues to be a statewide leader in implementing innovative changes to increase efficiencies, improve client services and health outcomes. In 2021, WIC was awarded a five-year peer breastfeeding support grant that allowed Public Health to hire peer counselors who work with mothers of diverse backgrounds to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration. Peer counselors are recruited from the communities they serve and work with families during times that meet their needs. In addition, in July, Dakota County WIC was the first in Minnesota to pilot the new statewide WIC Information Next-gen for Nutrition, Integrity & Education System (WINNIE) which is a faster, web-based information system that will help increase staff efficiency and will allow for WIC to be more easily embedded into the community. Lastly, this past summer WIC received grant funding to improve the shopping experience for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) participants.
OUTCOMES
How much?
Dakota County WIC is the third largest WIC Program in Minnesota.
• In 2023, the Dakota County WIC Program saw a total of 9,737 unduplicated participants. Of these, 28 percent were pregnant or postpartum individuals, 28 percent were infants and 43 percent were children under the age of 5.
How well?
WIC has positive effects on breastfeeding and birth weight.
• Since its start in 2022, the Dakota County WIC’s Peer Breastfeeding program has had a positive impact on lactation. Participants who receive peer services have a higher breastfeeding rate at initiation, two weeks, two months, and three months compared to those who did not have a peer.
• Low birth weight infants are more common for women with no or little WIC prenatal participation. In 2023, for women with three or more months of Dakota County WIC prenatal participation, 8.4 percent of infants were born at a low birth weight, compared to 13.5 percent for women with no prenatal WIC participation. The average medical expenditure for low-birth-weight infants averages $114,437.
Is anyone better off?
WIC is a good investment.
• Research has shown that one dollar invested in WIC saves about $2.48 in medical, educational, and productivity costs.
• WIC breastfeeding support and services help participants meet breastfeeding recommendations. More participants meeting breastfeeding recommendations could save $17.2 billion in national annual medical costs and prevent 3,340 deaths annually.
• The peer breastfeeding program advances health equity by increasing initiation and duration for all race/ethnicities.
RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Information only; no action requested.
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EXPLANATION OF FISCAL/FTE IMPACTS
None.
☒ None ☐ Current budget ☐ Other
☐ Amendment Requested ☐ New FTE(s) requested
RESOLUTION
body
Informational only; no action requested.
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PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION
None.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
BOARD GOALS
☒ A Great Place to Live ☐ A Healthy Environment
☐ A Successful Place for Business and Jobs ☐ Excellence in Public Service
CONTACTS
Department Head: Coral Ripplinger
Author: Tracy Howard