DC WIC POLICY & PROCEDURE MANUAL

Policy 9.003 1 | P a g e Title: Food Benefit Security Category: Food Delivery CFR Reference: CFR 246.12 Policy Number: 9.003 Effective Date: 1/2022 Revised Date: 1/31/2026

POLICY STATEMENT: The State Agency is responsible for the ordering and distribution of food instruments, i.e. eWIC cards, to the Local Agency and will maintain a backstock supply for emergency distribution and/or other program operations (e.g. vendor monitoring/compliance buys). The Local Agency must maintain an inventory of eWIC cards and ensure these items are kept secure from theft and loss. The Local Agency must report its eWIC card inventory to the State Agency on a quarterly basis. PROCEDURE State Agency Ordering of eWIC Cards DC WIC’s eWIC card supplier and distributor are Custom Data Processing (CDP) and Fidelity National Information Services, Inc (FIS), respectfully. Orders are processed through CDP and fulfilled through FIS. Purchasing eWIC cards from CDP entails the following: Quantities for Ordering • eWIC cards are packaged in quantities of 250 per sleeve and are purchased in increments of 250, with a minimum purchase order of 500 cards (i.e. two sleeves). • Orders for less than 5,000 cards are processed and shipped within 5 to 10 business days. • Orders for more than 5,000 cards are considered Large Order Files (LOF) and require advanced notice. o For LOFs, the State Agency must coordinate with CDP to contact FIS State Support o FIS State Support will coordinate with CardPro to identify a date when CDP can send the card file ▪ CardPro requires 30-day notice for LOFs ▪ CardPro typically processes and ships purchase orders within 5 to 10 business days Requesting eWIC cards The Local Agency must communicate in advance to the State Agency its need for additional eWIC cards to ensure that ordering and shipping of supplies can be accommodated within the established timeframes listed above. The Local Agency must request additional eWIC cards when the designated WIC clinic site has a minimum of three unissued card sleeves. The State Agency will review eWIC card issuance and replacement data in HANDS to verify that the request is justified. CDP Shipping Notes • CDP uses the United Postal Service (UPS) for shipping requests • Packages do not require a signature upon delivery

DC WIC POLICY & PROCEDURE MANUAL

Policy 9.003 2 | P a g e Local Agency Responsibilities The Local Agency must ensure the following for inventorying its eWIC cards: Security of eWIC cards The Local Agency must designate one of its WIC clinic sites as its main location for storing and distributing unopened eWIC card sleeves to its remaining WIC clinic locations as a measure to prevent the loss and theft of these items. The designated WIC clinic must have a locked safe where the cards are stored and kept secured from the public and unauthorized staff. This location should be specified on the eWIC card inventory log. The State Agency recommends that the remaining WIC clinic sites maintain only two sleeves of eWIC cards at a time – one to be used for distribution within the clinic and the other to remain unopened as an inventory backup. These sleeves must also be protected from loss and theft by securing them in a locked safe at the WIC clinic site. Daily eWIC card inventorying at each WIC clinic site Daily inventory of eWIC cards must be performed at each of the Local Agency’s WIC clinic sites to include the number of: • opened sleeves with the number of individual eWIC cards remaining within that sleeve, and • unopened sleeves This data will be used to assist in tracking and accounting for the fiscal year eWIC card inventory log that must be submitted to the State Agency on a quarterly basis. The Daily eWIC Card Inventory Log (see attachment 9.003A) requires daily documentation of all cards removed and returned and includes an end-of-month audit conducted by someone other than the card remover or returner. The auditor must complete the review and sign off within three (3) business days following the close of the month. The Local Agency Director must review the completed audit and sign off within five (5) business days. The Local Agency is required to maintain all daily eWIC card inventory logs for a minimum of three years for auditing purposes. Fiscal Year eWIC card inventorying at each WIC clinic site The Local Agency Director must use the Fiscal Year eWIC Card Inventory Log (see attachment 9.003B) to maintain monthly counts of unissued, unopened, open and finished sleeves at each of its WIC clinic sites and submit this log to the State Agency each quarter. The end-of-month auditor (attachment 9.003B) must be a different individual than the daily card remover or returner (attachment 9.003A). If staffing constraints require the auditor to also serve as the card remover or returner at a site, a replacement auditor must be assigned if that individual performed daily inventory coverage for more than 15% of the site’s monthly operating hours. REFERENCES

ATTACHMENTS & FORMS 9.003A Daily eWIC Card Inventory Log 9.003B Fiscal Year eWIC Card Inventory Log