Connecticut WIC Program Manual

WIC 104-02 SECTION: Civil Rights SUBJECT: Racial/Ethnic Data Collection and Reporting

Federal Regulations: §246.8 (a)(3) POLICY Local agencies are required to collect and report participation in the WIC program by race and ethnicity. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that those who are eligible to receive program benefits, minorities in particular get what they are entitled to receive. Local agencies MUST report actual participation data by racial/ethnic category for each clinic, by recording this information in CT-WIC. Self-identification is used to determine a participant’s racial/ethnic category. Participants must not be required to declare a racial/ethnic category as a condition of program participation. If questioned, local agency staff must explain to applicants and participants that the collection of racial/ethnic identity information is strictly for statistical requirements only and has no effect on the determination of their eligibility to participate in the WIC Program. If a participant or participant’s parent or guardian declines to provide this information, FNS 113-1 Section XII states that “visual identification shall be used to determine a participant’s racial/ethnic category”. It also states that participants may be asked to self-identify their racial group but only if it has been explained, and they understand, that the collection of this information is strictly for statistical reporting purposes only and has no effect on determination of eligibility. If the applicant chooses NOT to self-identify, WIC staff must visually identify to determine the participant’s racial/ethnic category. WIC staff must include the participant in the group to which he/she appears to belong or identifies with. Racial/ethnic data and records must be accessible only by authorized personnel. Definitions of Racial/Ethnic Categories

Ethnicity Definition Hispanic/Latino A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. The term, “Spanish origin,” can be used in addition to “Hispanic or Latino.” (A person could be Black but still be identified as Hispanic, because of Hispanic culture or origin.) Not Hispanic/Latino

Race Definition American Indian or Alaskan Native A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North, Central and South America, and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment. Asian A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand and Vietnam. Black or African American A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. Terms such as “Haitian” or “negro” can be used in addition to “Black or African American”. Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. White A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East.