1,000 Days Statement on Passage of a Continuing Resolution with WIC Benefit Extension
1,000 Days is grateful for the passage of a Continuing Resolution to avoid a lapse in government funding while Congress and the White House work toward resolving a spending plan for FY22. While this stopgap funding does not include necessary increases to a number of vital priorities to improve the health and wellbeing of families in the crucial 1,000-day window, we are grateful for the three-month extension of the WIC Cash Value Benefit (CVB). The increased CVB has improved access to fresh fruits and vegetables for WIC families, leading to better diet quality and improved program satisfaction. This also brings the WIC food package in closer alignment to the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and prior recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). We look forward to continuing to work with partners and champions in Congress to ensure that a final FY22 spending deal extends the CVB increase for the full fiscal year and meets the needs of moms, babies, and families everywhere.
Blythe Thomas
Initiative Director
1,000 Days, an initiative of FHI Solutions