Colorado WIC Program Policies and Procedures Section 4: Organization & Management Revised: 10/01/2026
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Nutrition Education Plan
Policy: COWIC will create a unified Nutrition Education Plan (NEP) that is consistent with the Colorado WIC (COWIC) Vision, Mission, and COWIC State Goals & Strategies.
Regulation: 7 CFR 246.11 (d) (2)
Procedure/Additional Guidance:
COWIC Mission & Vision Mission: To deliver core WIC services through a “four legs of a stool” model that supports mothers, infants, children, and families who are at nutritional risk by providing: Nutrition education based on USDA best practices and guidance. ● Support for mothers to breastfeed for as long as they choose. ● A wide variety of healthy, appealing, culturally-appropriate, and readily available food for all developmental stages and nutritional needs. ● Personalized connections to other helpful community resources to support families. Vision: Strong state and local agencies serving Colorado families with excellent systems, integrity, innovation, and impact to produce healthy outcomes.
The Nutrition Education Plan The unified (NEP) aligns our collective work with the broader COWIC State Goals and Strategies, ensuring every local action contributes to the shared statewide vision. The Colorado WIC Local Agency Nutrition Education Plan will be created based on the COWIC State Plan Goals and Strategies. By using data-informed decision-making, we will identify focus areas within the required USDA components of Breastfeeding and Nutrition/Program Operations that address the most pressing needs of the COWIC Program.
Planning Timeline
Month Phase Action March - April Review State Office evaluates current COWIC State Goals and Strategies. May - June Determine Plan and determine the unified focus for the upcoming year. July Release State Office provides agencies with the final NEP instructions, objectives, and data sources. July - Sept Plan LA works with staff to create implementation plans. October Implement Local Agencies begin implementing the new Nutrition Education Plan. Ongoing Assess State and Local partners review data to evaluate the impact of the previous year’s plan. State office staff will monitor data monthly and/or quarterly. State office staff will provide LAs with evaluation updates no less than one time per year.