October 11, 2023

Temporary benefit increase extended to September 2024 for Missouri WIC participants

 

For Immediate Release
Oct. 11, 2023

Media Contact:
Lisa Cox
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Missouri WIC announces the extension of the temporary increase of the Cash Value Benefit for Fruit and Vegetable Purchases (CVB) starting October 2023 and lasting through September of next year. The new monthly amounts will be $26 for child participants, $47 for pregnant and postpartum participants, $52 for breastfeeding participants, and $78 for women exclusively breastfeeding multiples. Previous CVB values range from $9-11. WIC is the Department of Health and Senior Services Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.

Eligible participants must contact their WIC local agency immediately to schedule an appointment to load the additional benefits on their eWIC card before redeeming any October benefits. Participants who redeem any October benefits before receiving the increase will not receive the increase until November and must return to the local agency prior to November to update their eWIC card.

Missouri WIC provides additional healthy fruits and vegetables for up to 60,000 women and children per month. WIC families have the opportunity to shop for nutritious foods at approximately 600 authorized WIC retailers throughout Missouri and can receive services at any of the 115 local agencies. WIC serves financially eligible women, infants and children under the age of five. Fathers, stepparents, foster parents, grandparents and guardians are also encouraged to apply for WIC benefits for any children in the household under the age of five.

Missouri WIC provides quality nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, nutritious foods and referrals to health services. It is also one of the most successful, cost-effective and important nutrition intervention programs in the country.

Missourians interested in learning about the benefits of WIC may visit wic.mo.gov or call TEL-LINK at 1-800-835-5465 to find the WIC local agency closest to them.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.


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