Division of Community Nutrition

Subject: Processing Standards and Appointments Policy: INT 01.0 Reference: N / A Effective: August 12, 2013 Supersedes: July 15, 2012

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I. Policy:

Local agencies are required to notify all applicants of their eligibility or ineligibility within a specific number of calendar days of the request for WIC benefits based on their category of eligibility.

II. Procedure(s):

A. Required time periods for processing WIC applications are as follows:

1) Pregnant women, infants under six (6) months of age, migrants and their family members, homeless persons and participants who present a valid WIC Verification of Certification (VOC) Card or Department of Defense WIC Overseas transfer document, CRT 13.1.1, shall be given an appointment and notified of their eligibility or ineligibility within ten (10) calendar days of the request for WIC benefits.

2) All other applicants shall be notified of their eligibility or ineligibility within twenty (20) calendar days of the request for WIC benefits.

B. Local agencies shall give an specific appointment to anyone who contacts them regarding WIC benefits.

C. Local agency staff shall communicate to applicants the kinds of information they need to bring to their certification appointments.

D. Local agencies shall use the Appointment Scheduler in Crossroads to document all appointments.

E. Appointments shall be scheduled as follows:

1) Participants shall be given a nutrition education appointment at each certification and subsequent certification visit. All appointments shall be written on the eWIC card holder booklet.

a. Nutrition education appointments shall be made up to thirty (30) days prior to the family issuance date.

b. All family members shall be given simultaneous appointments for nutrition education.

2) A subsequent certification appointment shall be given during the participant’s last nutrition education appointment. Local agency personnel shall remind participants at each certification what documents to bring to their subsequent certification appointment in accordance with CRT 01.1. This verbal reminder shall include a statement that failure to be certified will result in loss of benefits.

Division of Community Nutrition

Subject: Processing Standards and Appointments Policy: INT 01.0 Reference: N / A Effective: August 12, 2013 Supersedes: July 15, 2012

Page 2 of 2

F. Local agency personnel shall remind all participants at each appointment to notify the local agency of a change in contact information.

G. The local agency shall contact all applicants/participants who missed their appointment within 72 hours to arrange for rescheduling by their preferred method of contact.

1) Local agencies shall run the Daily Appointments to be Rescheduled report in Crossroads and follow up with clients on the report by their preferred method of contact to reschedule appointments.

H. Local agency personnel shall utilize on a monthly basis the Crossroads report listing participants who did not receive food benefits in the previous month and document they have contacted and rescheduled them to reduce the number of participants who become inactive or drop out of the WIC program.

I. Walk-in clinics may be offered as follows:

1) Walk-in clinics shall be utilized only for the following situations:

a. For those applicants / participants who simply arrive at the local agency, without prior contact, and bring all the required information; or,

b. For participants who have missed an appointment.

2) Any applicant / participant, who, for whatever reason, does not complete a walk-in clinic, shall be given an appointment within the time-frame for their category in accordance with processing standards requirements. Local agency personnel shall not simply tell them to come to the next walk-in clinic.