VIII. Certification December 2021 8.013 - 1 Policy 8.013 Transfers and VOCs CFR § 246.7(k) Transfer of Certification I. Policy Statement

Transfers that are currently in a valid certification period shall be placed on the program when present at the receiving clinic.

II. Out of State Transfers

For our-of-state transfers within a valid certification period, the LA to which the participant is transferring shall:

• Confirm that at least one AR is present in the clinic at the time of transfer. Agencies utilizing a secured online platform such as Zoom, the transfer shall be completed when the staff and at least one AR begin the appointment. • Ensure that the participant was never participating in DC WIC by using HANDS to do a statewide search. o If the participant was once a DC WIC participant, staff shall transfer the participant(s) into their clinic first. o If the participant was certified in DC, transferred out of state, and then returned to DC WIC within the timeframe in which the certification is still current, the previous certification shall be reinstated. • Verify approved forms of ID and proof of residency for all transferring WIC participants. o If neither proof of ID nor residency are brought in at time of transfer, staff shall input “Forgot Documentation” and issue one month of Food Benefits. o Additional benefits shall NOT be issued until proof of ID and/or residency have been received. • Complete the Out-of-State Transfer screen in HANDS. o For participants transferring from another state WIC Program, clinic staff will select priority 0. • For the unique VOC number in the Transfer screen, use the 2-letter state abbreviation followed by the unique identifier on the actual VOC. If there is no unique identifier on the VOC, use the state abbreviation followed by the Participant or Family ID that is provided on the VOC. • Have AR(s) sign the “Rights and Obligations” signature type in HANDS and scan the VOC into the participant’s file in HANDS. • LA staff shall obtain the food instruments or eWIC card issued by the sending agency if still in the participant’s possession, if applicable. The receiving LA shall destroy the unused food benefits or eWIC card from the transferring participant.

III. Verification of Certification

LAs receiving transfers shall accept Verification of Certification (VOC) documents from other states.

A document containing the following information is to be considered a valid VOC:

VIII. Certification December 2021 8.013 - 2 • Name of participant • Beginning date of Certification • Ending date of Certification • Date of income determination • Participant’s nutrition risk • Normal signature and full printed/typed name of the certifying Local Agency official • Name and address of the certifying Local Agency • An identification number or other means of accountability • Identification of migrant status

IV. Partially Complete Verification of Certification (VOC)

A partially complete VOC will be considered proof of WIC eligibility if it contains the following information:

• Name of participant • Beginning date of Certification • Ending date of Certification period • Name and address of the certifying Local Agency

NOTE: Participants who arrive in a new service delivery area showing a partially complete VOC will be treated as if the VOC contained all the information.

V. Retention of VOC/Rights and Obligation

LAs will retain the VOC from the transferring agency by scanning it into the participant’s file in HANDS and having the AR sign the “Rights and Obligations” signature type in HANDS.

VI. Transfer When a Waiting List Exists

An individual transferring from out-of-state into a DC WIC Local Agency will be allowed to participate (unless there is a waiting list for all priorities) until the designated end of their current certification period.

VII. Special Conditions

Participants that transfer to DC WIC and present a VOC which indicates they are transferring from a State Agency with a shorter certification period than DC, but they are still in a current Certification, shall have their Certification period extended.

• Infants who have a Certification start date on the VOC that was prior to the infant turning six months old shall have their Certification extended to their first birthday.

• Children with six-month Certification periods on the VOC will have their Certification extended to one year from the Certification start date that appears on the VOC.

• Breastfeeding women with six-month Certification periods on the VOC will have their Certification extended to the infant’s first birthday.

VIII. Certification December 2021 8.013 - 3 VIII. In-State Transfers

For transfers within the DC WIC Program, the LA to which the participant is transferring shall do the following:

• Confirm that at least one AR is present in the clinic at the time of transfer. In agencies utilizing a secure online platform such as Zoom, the transfer shall be completed when the staff and at least one AR begin the appointment. • Verify the identity by either reviewing the AR’s ID or using identifiers such as having the AR verify their date of birth, address, and/or phone number. • Perform a statewide search using HANDS to locate the participant/family. • Assess the type of service(s) the participant/family needs by asking questions of the AR and evaluating the Certification information on the search screen in HANDS. If additional information is needed, contact the clinic in which the participant is transferring from for more details. • Inform the participant that transferring will automatically cancel any appointments they may have at the other clinic and request permission to transfer the participant/family. • Complete the In-State Transfer process in HANDS.

NOTE: Transfers over the phone are NOT permitted for the sole purpose of making an appointment in HANDS.

Once the transfer in HANDS is completed:

• If the participant/family is not in a current Certification, a Certification shall be completed. • If the participant/family is in a current Certification, the following will be completed in addition to providing the rest of the required services for that appointment: o Update Address and Voter Registration status on the Family screen in HANDS o Provide an updated Local Agency referral list

NOTE: A transfer from Navajo Nation WIC or Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (ITCA) WIC programs is considered an out-of-state transfer.

IX. Transferring out of DC WIC

If a participant is transferring to a WIC Program in another state, staff shall provide the participant/AR with the VOC. If the participant/AR does not obtain a VOC ahead of time, the other state may request information about the incoming participant. The requested information will be faxed to the requesting program upon receipt of the request from the other state’s WIC Program.

NOTE: If the participant is in a “Conditional Certification” status and has pending eligibility documentation, staff shall write “30 Day Conditional Certification-Missing Eligibility Documentation” on the VOC before providing it to the participant or agency to which the participant is transferring. Staff shall specify which eligibility documentation was missing by writing it on the VOC.

VIII. Certification December 2021 8.013 - 4 X. WIC Overseas

When participants are transferring from WIC Overseas, DC WIC will utilize their signed VOC (also called a Participant Profile Report), and transfer them into DC WIC. The Out-of-State Transfer screen in HANDS shall be completed, the Rights and Obligation Form signed, and the Local Agency will scan the VOC Form into the participant’s HANDS record.

If the participant does not have a VOC, contact WIC Overseas at 1 (877) 267-3728. If the applicant is not in a valid Certification period, they will begin a new Certification period if still eligible.

When participants are transferring to WIC Overseas, participants will use their DC WIC Program VOC printed from HANDS.