Resources
Technical Assistance for WIC State Agencies
Have questions now about how to enhance your data matching efforts? We want to hear from you! WIC State agencies can request technical assistance from the MORE WIC! project team at any time.
When you click, you'll be asked to fill out a brief form, so we know how to serve you.
Available Technical Assistance Resources
Toolkit: Increasing WIC Coverage Through Cross-Program Data Matching and Targeted Outreach
Benefits Data Trust, Center on Budget & Policy Priorities
Benefits Data Trust, Center on Budget & Policy Priorities
Report Briefs: Leveraging Data and Text Outreach to Connect Families to WIC
- Using Data Matching and Targeted Outreach to Boost WIC Enrollment: Lessons Learned From State Pilots
- Matching Data Across Benefit Programs Can Increase WIC Enrollment
- Targeted Text Message Outreach Can Increase WIC Enrollment
Benefits Data Trust, Center on Budget & Policy Priorities
Center on Budget & Policy Priorities
Leveraging Cross-Program Data to Modernize Outreach & Enrollment in SNAP & Connected Benefits
American Public Human Services Association
Sample Data Sharing Agreement for Data Matching and Outreach
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities via the WIC Hub
2023 WIC Technology Landscape Report
Nava Public Benefit Corporation and the National WIC Association via the WIC Hub
As part of the MORE WIC! Project, each State agency subgrantee will form an Advisory Council that will be engaged at various time points to provide guidance on the project.
This will provide information to help you apply for a MORE WIC! subgrant.
Q&A
Do we need to submit a letter of support from SNAP or Medicaid if we already have a DSA in place?
Yes, it would be good practice to submit a letter of support even if you have a DSA in place because you will likely need to collaborate with SNAP or Medicaid at various points in your project.
Does every project need to create an advisory council?
Yes, every project needs an advisory council to inform the MORE WIC! outreach activities. This may mean creating a new council or modifying the membership of an existing council to meet your project needs.
Can we propose data matching with programs other than Medicaid and SNAP?
Yes, as long as you are proposing to do data matching with SNAP and/or Medicaid, other programs may also be included in your project plan.
Can the MORE WIC! team review my application before submission?
Yes, we can review and provide feedback on your application before submission.
For State agencies who wish to streamline certifications for adjunctively eligible clients, what advice does FNS have for collecting income information in a way that satisfies reporting requirements?
During a certification of a WIC applicant, adjunctive eligibility may be used to satisfy the income eligibility proof requirement. While WIC staff may have access to this data, thereby using this method to streamline the certification, self-reported income should be documented within the management information system. Collection of this information does not require additional documents or ‘proof’ to be provided and is collected verbally during the certification appointment along with other self-reported data.
Collection of household income is necessary for Participant Characteristics (7 CFR 246.25(b)(3)(i)) and potentially other program evaluation metrics. However, a participant may not be denied benefits if they qualify using adjunctive income eligibility proof do not provide self-reported income per 7 CFR 246.7(d)(2)(vi)(C).
Can a WIC State agency propose paying for time/salary of staff at Medicaid or SNAP for the purposes of creating the systems, etc., for data matching?
For example, suppose that the sharing/matching with Medicaid can be set up using a data analyst (say current staff) in Medicaid, but it would need to be paid for by WIC (meaning with MORE WIC subgrantee funds).
Yes, this is an allowable use of MORE WIC! subgrant funds, as long as the Medicaid employee is State staff and not Federal staff. Please note that funds are NOT allowed to pay salary for federal positions. FNS strongly encourages States to consider this an opportunity to consider sustainability and how this work will continue in the future, in the absence of MORE WIC! funds, especially for positions that are not WIC funded.
Can FNS provide guidance on other sources of support for MORE WIC! applicants who are interested in pursuing an integrated benefits application for use in their outreach strategies?
Consistent with Executive Order 14058, FNS is committed to working with WIC State agencies to reduce individuals’ and families’ burdens by simplifying enrollment. We recommend that State agencies interested in developing integrated applications reach out to their FNS Regional Office points of contact for any technical assistance they may need.
Do MORE WIC! projects need to be reviewed by an IRB, and what does that process look like?
WIC State agencies are public health authorities, which are “an agency or authority of the United States, a state, a territory, a political subdivision of a state or territory, an Indian tribe, or a foreign government, or a person or entity acting under a grant of authority from or contract with such public agency,….., that is responsible for public health matters as part of its official mandate” (45 CFR 46.102(k)).
Activities conducted by public health authorities that are considered public health surveillance are not considered research and do not involve review by an IRB. Public health surveillance “involves collecting, testing, analyzing, and using information or biospecimens to improve public health and prevent disease.” (45 CFR 46.102(l)(2)). The goal of these activities is to inform public health decision-making.
Following these regulations, the MORE WIC! activities and data collection are not considered research.
It may be true that an MORE WIC! applicant wishes to conduct activities that are outside this definition and would be considered research. In that case, an IRB determination may be needed to proceed.
For more information: https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/requests-for-comments/draft-guidance-activities-deemed-not-be-research-public-health-surveillance/index.html
In my application, how do I select relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for my equity focus population and how many should there be?
You may find it helpful to begin by reviewing the KPIs for Reach and Effectiveness that can be found on p. 15 of the MORE WIC! Application Planning Resource. Consider what data are available for your equity focus population, which indicators would best help you measure and assess performance, and whether there are any additional indicators not on the list that you would like to add.
EXAMPLE:
Equity focus population: Children ages 1-4 in rural areas
- KPI #1: The number of WIC-eligible children ages 1-4 residing in rural zip codes who are identified through SNAP and/or Medicaid data matching process and are currently enrolled in WIC
- KPI #2: The number of WIC-eligible children ages 1-4 residing in rural zip codes who are identified through SNAP and/or Medicaid data matching process and are not currently enrolled in WIC
- KPI #3: The total number of families with children ages 1-4 residing in rural zip codes who were successfully contacted via outreach efforts
- KPI #4: The total number of children ages 1-4 residing in rural zip codes who ultimately enrolled or re-enrolled in WIC