The Momnibus: Extending WIC for New Moms Act

Introduced by Representative Lucy McBath and Senator Angela Alsobrooks

Background

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a critical federal program to provide supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum people, as well as infants and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk.¹

Data on WIC’s effectiveness consistently shows the strong benefits of the program for moms and babies. Participation in WIC during pregnancy is associated with reduced risk of pregnancy complications like preeclampsia, gestational hypertension and pre-term deliveries as well as healthier births.² WIC participation is also associated with reductions in infant mortality and improved nutrition and health outcomes for infants and children.³

By extending eligibility for WIC in the postpartum and breastfeeding periods, the Extending WIC for New Moms Act will make sure the nutritional needs of moms and babies are met, improving maternal and child health outcomes and advancing birth equity across the United States.

For more information or to add your organization’s endorsement to the list below, please email Momnibus@mail.house.gov.

Bill Summary

The Extending WIC for New Moms Act will:

  1. Extend WIC eligibility in the postpartum period from 6 months to 24 months.
  2. Extend WIC eligibility in the breastfeeding period from 12 months to 24 months.

Click HERE for a printable one-pager on the bill.

Cosponsors

Click HERE for the current list of House cosponsors and HERE for the current list of Senate cosponsors.

Endorsements

The Extending WIC for New Moms Act is endorsed by the following organizations:

  1. 1,000 Days, an initiative of FHI Solutions
  2. 4Kira4Moms
  3. A Better Balance
  4. ACA Consumer Advocacy 
  5. African American Breastfeeding Network
  6. African Heritage PA Caucus
  7. Alliance to End Hunger
  8. American Academy of Family Physicians
  9. American Academy of Nursing
  10. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
  11. American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work
  12. American Association of Birth Centers
  13. American Association of Colleges of Nursing
  14. American College of Nurse-Midwives
  15. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
  16. American Heart Association
  17. American Muslim Health Professionals
  18. American Nurses Association
  19. American Psychological Association
  20. American Public Health Association
  21. Ancient Song Doula Services
  22. Anxiety and Depression Association of America
  23. Arika Trim Foundation
  24. Association of Black Cardiologists
  25. Association of Black Women Physicians
  26. Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (ACHNE) 
  27. Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs
  28. Association of Physician Associates in Obstetrics and Gynecology
  29. Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN)
  30. Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
  31. Baby Cafe USA
  32. Babyscripts
  33. Bayard Rustin Liberation Initiative
  34. Big Cities Health Coalition
  35. Birthing Project USA
  36. Birthing Beautiful Communities
  37. Black Mamas Village
  38. Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association
  39. Bloom Maternal Health
  40. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA)
  41. Blue Shield of California
  42. Bobbie
  43. Boston Medical Center
  44. Breastfeed Durham
  45. Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities
  46. BreastfeedLA
  47. California Breastfeeding Coalition
  48. CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association)
  49. Catholic Health Association of the United States
  50. Catholics for Choice
  51. Center for American Progress
  52. Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
  53. Champaign County Health Care Consumers
  54. Changent (Child First & Nurse-Family Partnership)
  55. Children's Health Fund
  56. Cityblock Health
  57. Commonsense Childbirth Inc.
  58. Community Catalyst
  59. Deans' Nursing Policy Coalition
  60. DONA International
  61. Doula Alliance of Arkansas
  62. Dr. Shalon's Maternal Action Project
  63. EcoMadres
  64. Engage: Promoting Women’s Economic Security
  65. EverThrive Illinois
  66. Every Mother Counts
  67. Families USA
  68. Federation of American Hospitals
  69. Fibroid Foundation
  70. First Focus Campaign for Children
  71. Futures Without Violence
  72. GA Maternal Fetal Health Alliance
  73. GLO Preemies
  74. Glow Birth & Body and The Birth Deck
  75. Grow Midwives, LLC
  76. Hackensack Meridian Health
  77. Harambee Doula Care & Holistic Services
  78. Health Tech for Medicaid (HT4M)
  79. HealthConnect One
  80. Healthy Birth Day Inc.
  81. HealthyWomen
  82. Heluna Health
  83. HIMSS
  84. Ingram Screening, LLC
  85. International OCD Foundation
  86. Lamaze International
  87. Lifeline for Families Center and Lifeline for Moms Program at UMass Chan Medical School
  88. Living Well Black
  89. Luna Tierra Birth Center
  90. Mainline Maternity Care
  91. Majaica
  92. Malone Center
  93. March of Dimes
  94. Mary Amelia Center for Women's Health Equity Research
  95. Maternal Applications of Technology for Community Health (MATCH) Coalition
  96. Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance
  97. Maternity Care Coalition
  98. Melinated Moms
  99. Mental Health America
  100. Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
  101. Mom Congres
  102. Mom.ME.
  103. Mom2Mom Global
  104. Momma’s Village Fayetteville
  105. Moms Clean Air Force
  106. MomsRising
  107. Mothering Justice
  108. Mothers Out Front
  109. Narrative Nation Inc.
  110. National Alliance to impact the Social Determinants of Health (NASDOH)
  111. National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM)
  112. National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health
  113. National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health
  114. National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
  115. National Association of School Nurses
  116. National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Chicago-Metropolitan Chapter
  117. National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)
  118. National Health Law Program
  119. National Healthy Start Association
  120. National League for Nursing
  121. National Medical Association
  122. National Medical Fellowships, Inc.,
  123. National Organization for Women
  124. National Organization for Women - Hollywood Chapter
  125. National Perinatal Task Force
  126. National Urban League
  127. National WIC Association
  128. National Women's Law Center
  129. Nemours Children's Health
  130. NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
  131. New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute
  132. Northeast Arkansas Doulas
  133. Nurses for America
  134. Nzuri Doula Services
  135. Ob Hospitalist Group
  136. Once Upon A Preemie, Inc
  137. PA Education Association
  138. Pace University
  139. Partners In Health
  140. Poppy Seed Health
  141. Postpartum Support International (PSI)
  142. Pregnancy Justice
  143. Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association
  144. Prolacta Bioscience
  145. Reach Healthcare - Happy Mama
  146. riskLD
  147. Roots and River Wellness
  148. Sista Midwife Productions
  149. Sister to Sister International, Inc.
  150. SisterReach
  151. SisterReach Illinois
  152. Six Dimensions
  153. SMART Recovery
  154. Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior
  155. Society for Women's Health Research
  156. Sojourners
  157. Star Legacy Foundation
  158. The Arc of the United States
  159. The Children's Partnership
  160. The Collaborative
  161. The Kennedy Forum
  162. The National Women's Health Network
  163. The Root Cause Coalition
  164. The United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society
  165. Third Way
  166. Trust for America's Health
  167. U.S. Breastfeeding Committee
  168. Union for Reform Judaism
  169. United Against Inequities in Disease
  170. United Church of Christ Justice and Local Church Ministries
  171. University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
  172. Urban Baby Beginnings
  173. Urban Mommy Inc
  174. Vitality Wellness Solutions PLLC
  175. What to Expect Project
  176. Wolomi
  177. WomenHeart
  178. ZERO TO THREE

 

1 USDA: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children

2, 3 Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: WIC Works: Addressing the Nutrition and Health Needs of Low-Income Families for More Than Four Decades