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

JEFFERSON CITY, MO —Missouri WIC announces an innovative digital data dashboard accessible to the public. WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. The data dashboard provides access to in-state participation and certification data, along with benefit data, including:

• Participation rates by month and demographics (race, ethnicity, age, education level and spoken language).
• Certification rates by month and demographics (race, ethnicity, age, education level and spoken language).
• Benefit redemption and utilization by food category.

Missouri WIC offers healthy food choices that target specific essential nutrients often missing from participants’ diets, such as iron, calcium, protein, and vitamins A, C and D. To meet these needs, the WIC food package includes fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, whole grains, milk and yogurt along with other nutritious foods.

The new dashboard can be accessed at WIC.Mo.Gov on the Data and Statistical Reports page. It does not contain individual participant information but provides access to in-state participation and certification data by state and county.

Angie Oesterly, Missouri WIC director, invites stakeholders to take full advantage of the dashboard. “The Missouri WIC data dashboard provides additional transparency about the services it provides,” she said. “The dashboard will help our stakeholders make informed decisions about the services and supports offered to Missourians we mutually serve.”

To qualify for the WIC program, participants must meet the following requirements:

• Be a pregnant, breastfeeding or new mother, an infant up to age one or a child up to their 5^th birthday.
• Be a resident of Missouri.
• Meet income eligibility requirements.

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 in their county.

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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.