WIC Association of New York State

03/25/2026

WIC Call-In Day! 🎉

WIC partners are rallying supporters across the state to make their voices heard and urge New York State leaders to adequately fund WIC. Your participation can make a real impact today! - and in the days ahead!

What?
As New York's leaders negotiate details of the state budget, help protect access to WIC! Please call New York's leaders today and urge them to include an additional $30 million for the New York State Department of Health's WIC program in the final state budget.

Who to Call:
📞 Governor Kathy Hochul: 518-474-8390
📞 Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins: 518-455-2715
📞 Speaker Carl Heastie: 518-455-3791

Your message can be as simple as:
As New York faces unprecedented cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, WIC remains a stable health and nutrition support for families. However, funding hasn't kept pace with recent gains in participation. Additional $30M state funding will protect access to our state's WIC program and safeguard the health and food security of our youngest New Yorkers and their families.

💛 Thank you for standing up for WIC and the families who depend on it. Your voice matters and today is the perfect day to use it! 💛

📞 More details and template script here: https://tinyurl.com/mrxvum55

03/25/2026

Keep those calls coming all day!

Who to Call:
📞 Governor Kathy Hochul: 518-474-8390
📞 Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins: 518-455-2715
📞 Speaker Carl Heastie: 518-455-3791

💛 Thank you for standing up for WIC and the families who depend on it. Your voice matters and today is the perfect day to use it! 💛

📞 More details and template script here: https://tinyurl.com/mrxvum55

03/25/2026

Thank you, Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, for your advocacy partnership!

03/24/2026

☎️ Tomorrow! We are asking WIC supporters to call three key leaders to advocate for WIC.

Please! Spread the word and share, so we can get as many New Yorkers to call as possible in these final days of state budget negotiations.

📞 More details and template script here: https://tinyurl.com/mrxvum55

03/23/2026

Spotlight Session: Journey Mapping the WIC Participant Experience

Join us as we explore the Advancing Health Equity to Achieve Diversity and Inclusion in WIC (AHEAD) 3.0 project! This session dives into the WIC participant journey, uncovering barriers and facilitators across key phases. The National WIC Association will highlight how experiences differ by racial and ethnic identity and share actionable recommendations to make WIC more accessible, equitable, and supportive for WIC families.

Why Attend: Gain insights to enhance WIC programs, improve participant experience, and drive equity-focused solutions.

03/19/2026

Thank you, Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, for your tireless leadership for women’s issues of all kinds and your advocacy for WIC on yesterday’s The Capitol Pressroom interview! We are sure the 460k participating NYers and the 85 local WIC programs' workforce of nutrition professionals, lactation experts, and peer counselors operating in hospitals, community health centers, county departments of health, and community-based organizations thank you, too!

You’re absolutely right; with $540M federal food dollars now coming back to local NYS communities through WIC prescribed foods, NYS needs a $30M additional state investment in WIC infrastructure to brace the successful modernizations and outreach in recent years resulting in 100k more New Yorkers now participating in WIC’s long-proven public health nutrition services! And of course we want to reach more of the 200k more who could participate!

WIC partners: Take a listen and share!
https://capitolpressroom.org/2026/03/18/womens-issues-task-force-budget-priorities/

NYS WIC Advocacy Needed Now from WIC Partners:

Read the letter to Governor Hochul, Speaker Heastie, and Leader Stewart-Cousins and sign on by Monday, March 23. Learn more here:
https://hungersolutionsny.salsalabs.org/snap-and-wic-sign-on-letter-mar26?wvpId=dec7e2e5-328c-40dd-a75c-689c533b9d5f

Assembly Task Force on Women's Issues Chair Jessica González-Rojas, a Queens Democrat, discusses state budget priorities for the task force.

03/18/2026

🌮✨ National Nutrition Month Recipe Spotlight!

Looking for a quick, nutritious breakfast? Try these WIC Breakfast Tacos — a simple and delicious way to start the day using foods many WIC families already receive.

Scrambled eggs, whole wheat tortillas, and fresh veggies make this meal packed with protein, fiber, and flavor to keep you energized all morning.

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated — sometimes the best meals are the simplest ones! 💛

Have you ever tried breakfast tacos?
Tell us your favorite toppings in the comments! ⬇️

WICFamilies NutritionMonth

03/16/2026

We’re excited to welcome Jill Castle, a nationally recognized childhood nutrition speaker, to the WIC Association of New York State Conference!

In her session, “Helping Children Thrive at Every Size: A Whole-Child Approach for WIC,” Jill will introduce the Whole Child Framework—a weight-inclusive, evidence-based model that promotes health by supporting both a child’s physical wellbeing and emotional experience.

This session will provide practical insights to help WIC staff support children and families in a more holistic and compassionate way.

✨ A session you won’t want to miss!

03/16/2026

WIC Voices Needed Now

Amid rising food insecurity and unprecedented federal cuts to SNAP, state action is needed NOW to protect New York families’ access to WIC. As state leaders negotiate details of the final budget, elevate the urgency of state investment in these vital programs.

Message:
Protect access to WIC. Participation in WIC in New York has increased over 25 percent since 2020, now serving ~460,000 New Yorkers, while WIC local agencies have remained nearly flat-funded for the past decade. Additional $30M in state funding will help stabilize services at local agencies and ensure timely access to WIC's modernized essential health and nutrition services.

Contact these offices: https://tinyurl.com/p2v46vbj

Click to Action tool for both WIC and SNAP needs here: https://tinyurl.com/yykuskz6

Social Media toolkit here:
https://tinyurl.com/besy47hx

03/11/2026

Celebrating the WIC Registered Dietitians who empower families every day with knowledge, compassion, and the power of nutrition. 🥕🍎
Happy RDN Day! 💛

03/02/2026

Featured Session: Food Allergy Awareness for WIC Staff: Unpacking the New Food Packages

Presented By: Susan Krahn, MS, RDN, CD, CLC

Nearly 11% of adults and 8% of children have at least one food allergy. WIC staff play an important role in supporting participants with food allergies by providing education and tailored food packages. Join Susan Krahn, MS, RDN, CD, CLC, an author with Nutrition Matters, experienced WIC dietitian and mom of a child with food allergies, as she shares practical and research-based information WIC staff can use to refresh their knowledge on common food allergies and intolerances.

Join this session to learn about:

🥜 the most common food allergies and intolerances, as well as the most common food allergens in WIC-approved foods

🥛 ways to tailor food packages with the new food options

🥚 important food allergy messages into WIC nutrition education


Virtual Session: Tuesday, April 28th 10:30am-11:30am EST

Don’t miss this important discussion—register today!



Register Now: {add link}

02/18/2026

Our Conference is quickly approaching! Come hear a message from one of our speakers, Joe Roberts!

Be sure to register today to hear more about Joe Robert's inspiring story and learn more from the rest of our speakers!

Registration Link: https://www.eventsquid.com/contestant-reg.cfm?event_id=30740&profileName=Registration&fbclid=IwY2xjawQCw3tleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETJTYmtGVXcwVTRiN1A4N2hwc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrImg_Ryz_I5WmHJfBDWxJ0ozZw6uKCHI_WvhxKVrJqVQly0F9b-jLE2jHQ6_aem_dS1OvGr3oD6fAGoH7J2N0g