WIC shut-down gets reprieve

MAT-SU -- More than 2,000 women, infants and children across the Valley received a shock last week when they received a letter from staff at the Women, Infants and Children program notifying them that services provided by the federally funded program were about to come to a screeching halt, but those women should be able to breathe easier now, as Alaska Department of Health and Social Services staff have agreed to cover a looming financial gap.

The WIC program is in the final months of its fiscal year and, according to information in the letter, higher-than-expected food prices exhausted this year's budget. Prices for WIC essentials such as infant formula went up 24 percent, juice was up 23 percent and infant cereal cost 19 percent more than one year ago. WIC received $13 million this year to pay for food for its 25,000 program recipients, but that simply wasn't enough this year, despite cost-cutting measures WIC staff tried to implement, and they were facing an $800,000 shortfall.

"The costs weren't coming down like they needed to, and so they weren't able to live within their budget," said Karen Pearson, the state's public health director.

After facing the shortfall, WIC staff sent a letter out to community program coordinators stating that existing clients would not receive new food coupons, and both existing and prospective clients would be placed on a waiting list until the Oct.1 beginning of the new federal fiscal year.

Unfortunately, that letter was sent out before the funding gap was discussed with Department of Health and Social Services administration. The department manages the program in conjunction with local health departments, Native organizations, hospitals and clinics in more than 350 Alaska communities. Pearson said, had staff relayed the funding problem to HSS administration, the scare may have been avoided.

"It was just the WIC program staff trying to be accountable and responsible, but not remembering they could come to us and say, 'Are there any other options available?'" Pearson said.

Pearson said HSS staff weighed the need of providing food and assistance to WIC clients against other services provided by the department, and it quickly became apparent the services could not lapse.

"There is nothing more important than making sure Alaska's families get the food they need to grow up healthy and strong," said HSS commissioner Jay Livey in a Friday press release. "WIC staff have worked hard to get better nutrition to as many eligible women and children as possible within the federal dollars available and are exploring other funding options, but I told them today people are not going to lose WIC services. For instance, there is supplemental funding pending in Congress right now."

Livey explained his staff is working with Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens to secure additional funds in a pending supplemental funding bill now being considered for WIC programs across the nation. HSS staff have also reportedly been in contact with federal WIC managers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In the meantime, Pearson said, HSS will provide gap funding.

"We have money on hand to pay today's bills," Pearson said. "We just need the money on hand for that last month or two."