475.1 Policy 475 Waiting List June 28, 2019 POLICY When a local WIC program is serving its maximum assigned caseload, the local program shall maintain a waiting list of individuals who express interest in receiving program benefits and are likely to be served. PURPOSE To indicate when and how to use a waiting list to ensure service to the highest priority participants when local programs cannot serve all applicants. RELEVANT REGULATIONS ♦ 7 CFR §246.7 ¶(e)(4)—Nutritional Risk Priority System ♦ 7 CFR §246.7 ¶(f)(1)—Waiting Lists ♦ FNS Instruction 803-6 Rev. 1 OREGON WIC PPM REFERENCES

♦ 650—WIC Transfers/VOC and WIC Overseas program ♦ 670—Overview of Risk Criteria and Priorities DEFINITIONS Waiting list: A list of individuals who express interest in receiving benefits and are likely to be served when caseload slots become available. PROCEDURE Requirements 1.0 A waiting list is required when all the following conditions are met: The local WIC program is at or above its assigned caseload; and An individual visits the local program in person to request WIC benefits when there are no caseload slots available; and The applicant is likely to be served, i.e., their potential priority level and age group are currently being served by the local program; and The state has been notified and approved the use of the waiting list.

Any individual who specifically requests to be placed on a waiting list in person must be added to the list, regardless of their qualification status.

The local program has the option, but is not required to place individuals on the waiting list in response to telephone requests if they meet the conditions in ¶1.0

Waiting List, Continued 475.2

Active WIC participants who transfer into the local program from within Oregon or from another state and migrants must receive the first available caseload slots, regardless of priority. Place these individuals at the top of the waiting list. Refer to  650— WIC Transfers/VOC and WIC Overseas program

Active WIC participants who transfer in from the WIC Overseas Program must be placed ahead of all other transfers on the waiting list. See  650— WIC Transfers/VOC and WIC Overseas program.

Participants who fail to keep scheduled WIC appointments may be placed on the waiting list if they contact the local WIC program and request a rescheduled appointment when that local program has no appointments available.

A local program that is below its assigned caseload may not use waiting lists.

Treat all applicants equally. An applicant who has never been on WIC must have the same access to available appointment slots as a participant who is applying for a second or subsequent certification. Documentation 2.0 The waiting list will be maintained in the management information system (MIS) and must include: The applicant’s name Address and/or phone number Applicant status (pregnant, breastfeeding, age of applicant, etc.) The date the applicant was placed on the waiting list.

Civil rights regulations do not allow a request for information on ethnic classification as part of waiting list procedures. Notification 3.0 Notify applicants of their placement on a waiting list at the time they are placed on the list.

Notification applies to both placing applicants on the waiting list in person or in response to telephone requests.

Notify all applicants of the estimated length of time they will remain on the waiting list before receiving an appointment.

Encourage all applicants to contact the local program with address changes or new telephone numbers to facilitate future appointment scheduling.

Inform applicants regarding the need for a waiting list. Explain that the local program will serve highest priority applicants first when funding and caseloads are limited, but WIC services will be extended to as many eligible participants as possible. Priority levels 4.0 Applicants at the highest priority levels must be contacted for appointments before those at lower levels, even if the applicants at the lower level have been waiting longer. See  670—Overview of Risk Criteria and Priorities. For example, contact possible priority I applicants first, then prior II, etc. Contact may be by phone or by

Waiting List, Continued 475.3 mail. For applicants with the same potential priority, offer appointments in the order of placement on the waiting list. Exception: Transfers (in-state, out of state, Overseas) and migrants must be placed at the top of the waiting list regardless of their priority level. Refer to ¶1.3-1.4.

Local programs do not have to add applicants to a waiting list if they are in priority levels not currently being served.

Serve the same priorities and use the same procedures in maintaining the waiting list for all clinics within the same local program service areas. No Response 5.0 Local programs may remove applicants from the waiting list if they do not respond within two weeks after being contacted to schedule an appointment.

POLICY HISTORY Date *Major revision, Minor revision 9/7/2001 Revised 6/7/2011 Revised 5/22/2015 Revised 6/28/2019 Minor revision

The date located at the top of the policy is the implementation date unless an ‘effective date’ is noted on the policy. Policies will become compliance findings 6 months from the implementation date. Release notes can be found in the corresponding document on the Policy and Procedure Manual page. *Major Revisions: 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.