20 Ways to Use WIC Works

In honor of the WIC Works Resource System's (WIC Works) 20th anniversary, we’re highlighting 20 ways to use WIC Works. Up next is #20. If you missed the previous months, check them out below.

What do the North Star, seeing eye dogs, and WIC Works have in common? They all provide guidance to point people in the right direction!

20. WIC Works hosts a number of helpful policy and guidance materials, including those for:

• Implementing regulations related to the Food Packages and Breastfeeding;
• Screening and referring participants for vaccines;
• Improving nutrition services; and
• Fulfilling WIC’s role in preventing substance use

You can also find tips for educating your participants on important topics, such as

• Switching from higher to lower-fat milk and
• Transitioning older infants from infant foods to fresh fruits and vegetables

These are just a few of the materials available! Use the Staff Guidance & Tools filter for a complete listing.

Of course, WIC Works provides resources for general program guidance. If you have more specific program-related questions, your State agency or Regional office will have the answer.

Thank you for letting WIC Works support the important work you perform each day!
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January: Make New Year’s resolutions for you and your WIC Program.

1. Assess and improve your knowledge and skills in public health and community nutrition, or other areas like

• Strategies for preventing substance-exposed pregnancies through staff development activities (a new HRSA resource!) to learn more about preventing fetal exposure to alcohol and other substances, and
• Developmental milestones and safe sleep to enhance your efforts to promote healthy practices and developmental modeling in children.

2. Self-assess your State or local WIC Program and update or start a new quality improvement plan using the WIC Nutrition Services Standards online self-assessment tool. New to the tool? Check out the FAQs.

February: Valentine's flowers and chocolates are nice, but knowledge is the gift that keeps on giving -- brush up on a topic or explore future learning opportunities. On the Go? No problem! WIC Works is mobile-friendly!

3. Keep informed about issues that can affect the health and wellness of your participants, like Zika, Lead, Opioids, Cannabis Use, Immunization, and other topics.

4. Discover upcoming WIC-relevant conferences, webinars, and other activities.

March: Find nutrition education resources for National Nutrition Month, and all year long!

5. Stay up to date on nutrition-related developments, like changes to nutrition facts labels,  advice about eating fish, and menus that feature calorie labels that help your participants make informed decisions when choosing foods.

6. Got some time? Browse resources by topic, resource type, language, and the organization that developed it. (You can use the filters or the clickable buttons under each resource’s title). Don’t forget to check out the home page that showcases new and featured resources! You'll find resources like WIC State agency grant opportunities and sample meals that are a good source of one or more of the nutrients thought to help protect against lead exposure.

7. Looking for something specific? Use titles or key words in the search box. You can also bookmark your favorite resources for quick and easy access.

April: Spring into action and refresh your participant resources!

8. Order or download free publications for nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and other WIC-relevant public health issues. Hot off the press are Breastfeeding Basics handouts for moms, dad, and grandmas and a Your Breastfeeding Journey handout for moms from the WIC Breastfeeding Support campaign.

9. Download free images from any of our image galleries, like the WIC Breastfeeding Support campaign, breastfeeding peer counseling, food packages, and physical activity collections!

May: Why go it alone? take advantage of the tools at your fingertips to assist you with calculations, and to find what you're looking for.

10. Use the WIC Infant Foods Calculator and Sample Calculations for the rounding up methodology to issue infant foods, or the WIC Infant Formula Calculator to determine the issuance of one infant formula product at a time using either (or both) issuance methods (rounding up or monthly).

11. Having trouble accessing or locating resources on WIC Works or the WIC Breastfeeding Support site? Let us help you.

June: Share your resources and thoughts - sharing is caring!

12. Have a creative lesson plan, training tool, or nutrition education or outreach material? Share your WIC State agency resource with us for your fellow agencies to be inspired by or use.

13. Let us know how we're doing! Contact us anytime to give us your feedback, suggestions for what would be helpful to you, or to let us know how you use WIC Works!

Know someone who isn't aware of WIC Works? Share the site and let them know about all the (free!) resources WIC Works has to offer.

July: Too busy? We get it, sometimes there just isn't enough time to check out all that's new on WIC Works. We can help.

14. Get alerts for new or revised resources, webinars, open application period for the Loving Support Award of Excellence, and more! Sign up here. When you have time, be sure to check back in...sometimes there are too many to fit into our alerts! You can find what's new on the New and Featured Resource sections on the homepage, and the listing on the Explore Resources page.

August: Support your breastfeeding moms and help them reach their breastfeeding goals!

15. WIC Works is full of breastfeeding resources for moms, like the Human Milk Storage Guidelines, a New York-developed toolkit for breastfeeding moms returning to work, and more!

If you don't already have it bookmarked, you can also access the WIC Breastfeeding Support site from WWRS to download breastfeeding campaign materials or share the site during a visit with your breastfeeding moms-to-be.

WIC Works also has resources for staff to learn more about supporting breastfeeding and give you the tools to support your breastfeeding moms, like the WIC Infant Nutrition and Feeding Guide and the WIC Breastfeeding Model Components for Peer Counseling.
 

September: We've got you covered for National Online Learning Day!

16. WIC Works offers access to a number of free training opportunities, such as WIC Learning Online, SNAP-Ed training on food, nutrition and activity, Growth Chart training, Peer Counseling training, and more. Many of these offer free CEUs!

17. Access webinars on coordinating nutrition services across programs, maternal depression, food safety, and other WIC-relevant topics.

October: Save mystery for haunted houses, urban legends and UFOs. Develop clear and understandable messages.

18. Use plain language training, CDC's Simply Put guide, and other resources to transform complex information into consumer-friendly, culturally appropriate messages and materials.
 

November: Give thanks to the WIC State agencies that have shared their tools, materials, and other resources.

19. Get inspired by, or adopt/adapt, State agency resources, such as Chickasaw Nation’s Mealtime Blessings project, South Carolina’s Nutrition Risk Code Reference Tool, and Oregon’s WIC Staff Training modules, as well as Special Project Grants.