This brief provides the results of an analysis of WIC vendor selection and authorization criteria, and operations and management policies established by the 89 administrative agencies in the United States. This study is the first to compile and examine a database of WIC vendor selection and authorization criteria, and operations and management policies established by the 89 administrative agencies in the United States. Results demonstrate that vendor selection and authorization criteria vary across WIC agencies without any consistent pattern. These findings are important because limiting the landscape of WIC vendors may have substantial impacts on communities and may result in reduced access to WIC-approved foods by WIC participants.
Published: December 2021
Publisher: University of Delaware Center for Research in Education & Social Policy
Authors: Landry M, Phan K, McGuirt J, Ostrander A, Ademu L, Seibold M, McCallops K, Tracy T, Fleischhacker S, Halverson M, Karpyn A
State: National
Focus Area: Nutrition Policy & Programs
Resource Type: Research Brief
Keyword: Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Related Research
February 2023
Rapid Health Impact Assessment on Changes to School Nutrition Standards to Align with 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The national school breakfast and lunch programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are cornerstone federal nutrition assistance programs. School meals are one of the healthiest sources of foods for school-age children, which is significant as some children receive up to half of their daily calories at school. Policy opportunities in 2023 MoreJanuary 2023
Evaluation of WIC Online Ordering during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from an Oklahoma Grocery Store Chain
The COVID-19 pandemic is worsening the disparities in food access in the United States. As consumers have been increasingly using grocery online ordering services to limit their exposure to the COVID-19 virus, participants of federal nutrition assistance programs lack the online benefit redemption option. With the support of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), retailers MoreSeptember 2022