Information Collection - WIC and FMNP Outreach, Innovation, and Modernization Evaluation

Summary

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This collection is a new collection. The purpose of this information collection is to provide information on the implementation and effectiveness of modernization projects across all 88 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) state agencies to help identify successes, opportunities for improvement, and areas for additional support from FNS to strengthen project implementation.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which was signed into law in March 2021, provided USDA with $390 million and waiver authority for outreach, innovation, and program modernization in WIC and the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP). FNS is interested in understanding the implementation and outcomes related to these modernization efforts.

Request for Comments

Written comments must be received on or before Dec. 27, 2024.

Comments may be emailed to [email protected]. Comments will also be accepted through the federal eRulemaking portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov, and follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically.

All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will be a matter of public record.

Abstract

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides supplemental food, nutrition education, and referrals to health and social services to pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are living in households with low incomes and are at nutritional risk. The WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides eligible WIC participants with FMNP benefits, in addition to their regular WIC benefits, which can be used to buy eligible foods from farmers, farmers' markets, or roadside stands that have been approved by the WIC state agency. While the benefits of participating in WIC have been well documented, WIC continues to reach only about half of those eligible to participate.

WIC has relied on a traditional service delivery model that includes potentially challenging requirements for participants-such as regular in-person-only appointments to determine eligibility and to continue receiving services; limited or no online or digital services; and in-person shopping only. In an effort to improve service delivery and permanently modernize WIC, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 provided FNS with $390 million and waiver authority to support WIC modernization. Under ARPA, FNS supports WIC modernization efforts by providing grants to all state agencies, offering waivers that support modernization efforts, collaborating with partners via cooperative agreements and contracts, and conducting projects. WIC modernization efforts seek to improve the WIC participant experience, reduce disparities in WIC service delivery, and increase WIC participation and retention.

The WIC & FMNP Outreach, Innovation, and Modernization Evaluation (WIC modernization evaluation) will help FNS understand the implementation and impacts of ARPA-funded projects and waivers to inform current and future modernization efforts. The WIC modernization evaluation has three components: an implementation study, a waiver study, and an impact study. The implementation study will provide a comprehensive understanding of project implementation while accommodating variations in the timing of projects within different program areas, implementation within and between state agencies, and innovative approaches. The implementation study component will collect a broad range of data from WIC state agencies, local agencies, clinics, vendors and authorized outlets (including farmers, farmers' markets, and roadside stands), and WIC participants. These data will provide current and ongoing information about modernization efforts in all 88 WIC state agencies.

The waiver study component will provide an understanding of waiver issuance and how state agencies used waivers. The waiver study will rely on many of the same data sources as the implementation study, especially the interviews with WIC state agencies. The study will also collect information on whether and how unique waivers were implemented by WIC state agencies to conduct the modernization projects.

The impact study component of the evaluation will measure the impact of the WIC and FMNP modernization projects on participants through key short-term and intermediate-term outcome measures, including enrollment, participation, retention, benefit redemption, participant experience (e.g., satisfaction), and disparities in program delivery. It will address whether the modernization projects improved these key outcome measures and how changes in these outcomes were related to the number and type of modernization projects. While most outcomes will be measured with administrative data (collected under existing projects), the impact study will also use surveys to learn about the experiences and satisfaction of WIC program staff, vendor/authorized outlet staff, and participants with the changes to the WIC program because of the modernization activities. In addition, the impact study will rely on information from the implementation and waiver studies regarding where and when projects and waivers were implemented.

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