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Raleigh County Board of Health signs letter urging Kansas Department of Health to reconsider WIC cuts
Summary
At a recess to convene as the Board of Health, county health officials said state cuts to WIC funding would produce a shortfall; the board voted to sign and send a letter asking KDHE to revisit the allocation formula.
The Raleigh County Commission briefly recessed and convened as the county Board of Health on June 23 to consider a letter to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment about proposed cuts to the WIC program.
Diane Creek, Raleigh County Health Department director, joined by Caitlin Speth, WIC supervisor, told the board KDHE had notified local agencies of reductions that would create a shortfall for the remainder of the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 and that one neighboring county (Gary County) had already lost its WIC contract for the coming year. Creek said the county had already seen client transfers following the notice and that Riley County might receive additional clients from the neighboring county.
Creek said the state—s allocation calculations omitted factors the county believed were relevant (for example, increases in enrolled clients and staffing). The health department sought the board—s approval to send a formal letter asking KDHE to review the local allocation and the state—s math.
The Board of Health voted unanimously to approve sending the letter to KDHE requesting reconsideration of the cuts and increased allocation to cover the county—s workload; commissioners signed the letter so county staff could forward it. Creek said the letter would not harm the county's ability to serve current WIC clients but that the department anticipated service and staffing pressure if the cuts remained in place.
The county returned to its commission meeting after the Board of Health action. The transcript records no additional follow-up vote on funding; the action recorded was approval to send the letter requesting review and recalculation by KDHE.
