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Legislative
History of
Breastfeeding Promotion Requirements in WIC
1972 – P.L.
92-443
Congress authorized a two-year pilot
project to serve pregnant and lactating women, infants, and
children up to age four. In
addition to meeting the income guidelines, participants were
required to be at nutritional risk.
1975 – P.L.
94-105
- WIC
officially became a permanent national health and nutrition
program
- Congress
explicitly used the term “breastfeeding” in the
legislation
- Breastfeeding
women were defined as women who breastfed their infants up to
one year of age. Non-breastfeeding
postpartum women could participate up to six months
postpartum. Eligibility
for children was extended to age five.
1989 – P.L.
101-147
Further increased emphases on
breastfeeding promotion in the WIC Program by:
-
Requiring
that the USDA define the term “breastfeeding”, as well
as develop standards to ensure adequate breastfeeding
promotion and support at the State and local levels;
-
Authorizing
the use of WIC nutrition services and administrative (NSA)
funds to purchase breastfeeding aids, such as breastpumps,
which directly support the initiation and continuation of
breastfeeding;
-
Requiring
the addition of an expert in breastfeeding promotion and
support to the National Advisory Council on Maternal, Infant
and Fetal Nutrition
-
Requiring
that WIC State agencies’ spend annually, at a minimum,
their share of $8 million specifically targeted for
breastfeeding promotion and support;
- Make
a yearly evaluation of their breastfeeding promotion and
support activities
- Provide
nutrition education and breastfeeding materials in
languages other than English as appropriate
- Include
in their State plan a plan to provide nutrition education
and breastfeeding promotion and a plan to coordinate
operations with local agency programs for breastfeeding
promotion
- Designate
a breastfeeding coordinator to provide training on
breastfeeding promotion and support to local agency staff
responsible for breastfeeding
1992 – P.L.
102-342
Required that the Secretary of
Agriculture establish a national breastfeeding promotion program
to promote breastfeeding as the best method of infant nutrition,
foster wider public acceptance of breastfeeding in the United
States, and assist in the distribution of breastfeeding
equipment to breastfeeding women.
The Secretary may develop or assist others to develop
appropriate materials. The
law also provided authorization for USDA to enter into cooperative agreements with
Federal, State, local or other entities to carry out a
breastfeeding promotion program.
The law further authorized USDA to solicit and accept
donations from outside sources for establishing a breastfeeding
promotion program.
1994 – P.L.
103-448
- Revised
the formula for determining the amount of funds to be expended
for WIC Breastfeeding promotion and support
- Under
the formula WIC State agencies are required to spend $21
dollars per each pregnant and breastfeeding woman in support
of breastfeeding promotion
- The
legislation also required that each WIC State agency collect
data on the incidence and duration of breastfeeding among
participants. This
data is required to be reported to Congress every two years.
1996 – P.L.
104-193
Eliminated
the State agency requirement for an annual evaluation of
breastfeeding promotion and support activities
1998 – P.L.
105-336
Authorized WIC State agencies to use
food funds for the purchase or rental of breast pumps
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Promotion and Support Main Page
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