Revitalizing Quality Nutrition Services (RQNS) in the
WIC Program
Nutrition is everybody’s business!
What is RQNS?
RQNS is an evolving process of continuous program improvement involving
partners at the Federal, State and local levels.
What is the Goal of RQNS?
To enhance and strengthen the effectiveness of WIC nutrition services so
that WIC will continue to be the premiere national public health nutrition
program, helping participants to achieve and maintain optimal nutritional
status.
What is the Rationale for RQNS?
¨
WIC participants’ nutrition knowledge base and needs have
changed over time.
¨
Enable WIC nutrition services to better meet the public
health challenges of today.
¨
WIC nutrition services should be made available to
participants in appealing and accommodating ways that are relevant and
responsive to their individual needs.
¨
High quality WIC nutrition services may entice each adult
participant and parent/caregiver of infant or child participant to receive
at least two nutrition education contacts during the certification period.
¨
All WIC local agency staff should have the appropriate
education and/or training to prepare them to serve as part of the
nutrition services team.
¨
Because Nutrition is Everybody’s Business in WIC!
What prompted the RQNS
process? RQNS emerged as a result of the findings of two studies
– WIC Nutrition Education Assessment Study and the WIC Infant Feeding
Practices Study. Both of these
studies indicated that WIC needed to:
¨
Strengthen nutrition education
¨
Adopt a more behavioral approach in nutrition education
¨
Be more client oriented, and
¨
Focus on healthy behaviors for life
In response to these findings, FNS commissioned a discussion paper, Reinventing
Quality Nutrition Education in WIC, which presented some creative
concepts on how WIC nutrition education could be redesigned to make it
more effective and more appealing to participants.
The discussion paper was distributed to FNS Regional offices, State WIC
agencies, and public health nutritionists for comment.
The final document was used to elicit open dialog with the Regional
offices and State and local WIC agencies in order to cultivate a climate
for change in WIC nutrition services.
RQNS is an ongoing process of continual program improvement and since
its inception in 1999, FNS has made significant progress toward improving
nutrition services in WIC.
wicworks.nal.usda.gov
RQNS
projects and initiatives include:
| >WIC Works Resource System -
an online education and training center for health and nutrition
professionals serving in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program
for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
|
| >The
Nutrition Services Standards
are designed to help State and local WIC agencies self-assess how
well they currently deliver a wide range of nutrition services and how
to improve the delivery and quality of nutrition services.
|
> WIC Special Project Grants
-- These grants are
awarded to help States develop, implement and evaluate new or
innovative methods of service delivery to meet the changing needs
of WIC participants. |
| > VENA
(Value
Enhanced Nutrition Assessment) was developed jointly by the
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and the National WIC Association (NWA).
The VENA guidance provides a process for completing a comprehensive
WIC nutrition assessment and an outline of the necessary staff
competencies. |
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Last Modified 01/04/13
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