140.1 Policy 140 Organization: Purpose and Chart August 27, 2019 POLICY To describe the history, program services, and agency and function chart of , the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). This policy also covers the vision, mission, and values of the program. APPENDICES Page 140.3 Appendix A Agency and Function Chart Page 140.4 Appendix B Oregon WIC Program Vision, Mission, and Values BACKGROUND 1.0 The Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (commonly known as WIC) was established by the Federal Government in 1972 as a pilot program. At that time, Public Law 92-433 extended WIC to some half million pregnant women and infants in low-income areas for the first time. The Oregon WIC Program opened its first five projects and served 5,000 participants in 1974. In 1975 WIC was made a permanent program, and in 2017 provided WIC nutrition services to approximately 7.3 million individuals throughout the United States. 2.0 The WIC Program is a federally funded nutrition education and food supplement program for low income, pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding women and children under five years of age who are at nutritional risk. 3.0 In Oregon, the WIC Program is part of the Nutrition & Health Screening Section in the Oregon Public Health Division and is administered by the Oregon Health Authority. See Appendix A, Agency and Function Chart, for an explanation of the agencies involved in administering the program, starting with U.S. Congress on a national level to regional, state and local levels. 4.0 The overall purpose of the WIC Program is to ensure that Oregon families have the resources and knowledge to achieve optimal nutrition and lifelong health through the provision of premier public health nutrition services. Mission statement 5.0 In the fall of 2017, the Oregon WIC Program updated its program Mission Statement, and in the spring of 2018, it updated its Vision Statement. See Appendix B for Vision and Mission Statement. In 2018, the Oregon WIC Program also added a series of collective program values, which are also noted in Appendix B. Program services 6.0 The program provides the following services to accomplish this goal:

participant-centered, nutrition-focused counseling and education,

breastfeeding promotion and support,

Organization: Purpose and Chart, Continued 140.2

screening for anemia, poor growth patterns, inadequate diet, and other nutrition problems and needs,

monthly benefits used to purchase nutritious foods to prevent or improve nutrition-related medical problems; and

referrals to other health or social services.

REFERENCES 1. National WIC Association web page: http://www.nwica.org 2. US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, WIC Program Data page: https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic 3. Oregon WIC Program Vision / Mission / Annual Report page: https://www.oregon.gov/OHA/PH/HEALTHYPEOPLEFAMILIES/WIC/Pages/annual.a spx

POLICY HISTORY Date * Major Revision, Minor revision 7/30/2012 Revision 6/1/2016 Revision 8/27/2019 Minor revision

Release notes can be found in the corresponding document on the Policy and Procedure Manual page. *Major Revisions (used to be updated) Significant content changes made to policy. Minor Revisions: Minor edits, grammatical updates, clarifications, and/or formatting changes have occurred. Date of Origin: Date policy was initially released

If you need this in large print or an alternate format, please call 971-673-0040. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Organization: Purpose and Chart, Continued 140.3 APPENDIX A Agency and Function Chart

U.S. Congress Creates the law authorizing the WIC Program and appropriating funds. WIC must be reauthorized every five years as part of the Child Nutrition Programs reauthorization.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Administers national WIC program, including development of funding formula and issuance of rules and regulations.

Western Regional USDA-FNS Office (San Francisco) Provides state contact with USDA. Reviews state and local agencies in the Western Region.

Oregon Health Authority, Public Health Division, State WIC Office Provides contracts with county health departments, tribes and non-profits. Provides fiscal management. Develops State Plan of Operation and Procedure Manual. Provides consultation and training to local agencies and reviews program operations biennially. Manages vendor contracts and ensures program integrity. Provides data system development and support.

Local WIC Program Develops the local WIC budget and Nutrition Education Plan. Determines eligibility and provides services to eligible participants.

Organization: Purpose and Chart, Continued 140.4 APPENDIX B Oregon WIC Program Vision, Mission, and Values

Vision: Optimal nutrition and lifelong health for every Oregon family. Mission: Provide leadership, guidance, and resources to local WIC programs, vendors, and partners to ensure quality WIC services that support collective public health efforts. Values: • We value every child. • We value strong relationships. • We value services delivered with trust and integrity. • We value Oregon’s future.