Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the WIC topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Washington celebrates 50 years of WIC; governor proclaims Sept. 13 WIC Appreciation Day
Summary
State and federal officials celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), presented breastfeeding awards to three Washington agencies and announced program innovations including an online ordering pilot and expanded electronic benefits.
Washington state officials and WIC partners marked the program’s 50th anniversary at a public event that included awards for local breastfeeding programs and a proclamation from Gov. Jay Inslee naming Sept. 13, 2024, WIC Appreciation Day.
"When it comes to WIC, 50 is nifty," Gov. Jay Inslee said as he praised the program’s role in child and community health and read a proclamation recognizing the anniversary and the contributions of WIC staff, tribal partners and health professionals.
Britney Taibo, Washington State WIC director, opened the event and framed WIC as vital to families: "As a previous WIC participant, I'm deeply grateful for the WIC program." Taibo described program services — nutritious food, breastfeeding education and community support for income-eligible pregnant and postpartum people, infants and children up to age 5 — and thanked staff and tribal partners for their work to increase culturally appropriate services and traditional foods.
Dr. Umair Shah, Washington’s secretary of health, highlighted state innovations and partnerships, saying Washington is among the first states piloting online WIC ordering with Walmart. "WIC participants will soon be able to order online for pickup or delivery using their WIC benefits," Shah said, pointing to other recent transitions such as electronic benefits redemption.
Chad Davis Montgomery, regional director for USDA Food and Nutrition Service, presented the program’s breastfeeding awards and said the recognition is designed to showcase model practices and motivate other local agencies. He named Island County Public Health and MultiCare WIC as 2024 gold award winners and said Jefferson County Public Health also earned a gold award (accepted by the state breastfeeding coordinator on the county’s behalf). Montgomery recalled his personal connection to the program, saying, "I am a WIC baby," and encouraged continued state-federal collaboration on innovation.
Michelle Roberts, Assistant Secretary for Prevention and Community Health, described recent program changes and outreach efforts, including conversion from paper checks to electronic benefits, new food-package options with more fruits and vegetables, referrals to health and social services, and 45 listening sessions with local clinics to improve outreach to underserved communities.
Speakers also cited scale and pandemic-era activity: officials said Washington has over 200 local WIC agencies serving about 200,000 participants annually, and that families redeemed more than $300,000,000 in benefits during the pandemic.
The event included recognition of long-serving staff; Gov. Inslee named Malvina Annie Goodwin "Washingtonian of the day" for decades of service dating to the late 1970s. Organizers closed with a photo opportunity for award winners and a call to continue efforts to expand access and innovation in WIC services.
