Topline:
The backstory: The $26 monthly WIC fruit and vegetable voucher for children under 5 will be made permanent under the newly adopted federal rules. That’s more than double the $9 a month for children that was allowed before 2021.
The fruit and vegetable monthly allowance was increased considerably as a response to COVID-19 and local WIC programs worried the allowance would go back down again.
Why it matters: Shannon Whaley, WIC Director of Research and Evaluation for the Public Health Foundation Enterprise, said the increased allowance has had a “huge impact on the local economy in addition to the increased food security for families with low-incomes.”
Whaley also said that her agency has seen a 10% bump in food secure families in L.A. County since the vouchers were increased, from about 45% food secure in 2021 to about 55% this year.
How to apply for WIC: You can text APPLY to 91997
Or apply online here.
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