California WIC Participants Report Favorable Impacts of the COVID-Related Increase to the WIC Cash Value Benefit
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Report Publish Date: August 25, 2022
This journal article describes a qualitative study of participants in California’s Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, program and their feelings about the increase in WIC’s cash value benefit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Primary Takeaways
Most caregivers interviewed for the study (25 out of 30) thought $35 (rather than the previous cash benefit of $9) was the right amount. They said the larger amount allowed them to buy fruits and vegetables for a full month.
Only two respondents said it was hard to spend all the money in a month. Most said they spent the full amount. Six spent almost all of it; they said they had problems getting to the store at the end of the month or getting their purchases to add up exactly.
Most respondents said they bought more and a greater variety of fruits and vegetables with the larger cash allowance. And having more money to spend on fresh produce made participants less worried about the price of fruits and vegetables.
Overview and Objectives
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Rescue Plan Act raised the WIC cash value benefit to $35 for four months. (It was later reduced to $24.) The authors wanted to know how caregivers of children with WIC benefits felt about having more money to spend on fruits and vegetables and whether the money meant their children and other household members were able to eat more fresh produce.
Hypothesis or Approach
The authors interviewed 30 participants in a larger longitudinal study evaluating the effect of the expanded cash value benefit on children ages one to four. The researchers used an immersion/crystallization approach to thematically code the phone interviews.
How This Influences Change
The authors say maintaining a $24 cash value benefit for WIC recipients, or raising the value even further, will enable WIC families to buy and eat more fruits and vegetables, in greater variety.
Research: Go Deeper
The United States Department of Agriculture approved an increase to the Cash Value Benefit (CVB) for the purchase of fruits and vegetables issued to participants receiving an eligible Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food package. To understand satisfaction, perceptions, and the overall impact of additional benefits for fruits and vegetables at the household level, a qualitative study consisting of structured phone interviews was conducted with families served by WIC in Southern California from November to December 2021 (n = 30). Families were selected from a large longitudinal study sample (N = 2784); the sample was restricted by benefit redemption and stratified by language and race. WIC participants were highly satisfied with the CVB increase, reporting increased purchasing and consumption of a variety of fruits and vegetables. Respondents noted the improved quality and variety of fruits and vegetables purchased due to the increased amount. Findings are expected to inform policymakers to adjust the CVB offered in the WIC food package with the potential to improve participant satisfaction and increase participation and retention of eligible families with benefits from healthy diets supported by WIC.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710604
Research Team
This study and report was conducted and created by the following people:
- Martinez CE
- Anderson CE
- Ritchie LD
- Lee DL
- Tsai MM
- Whaley SE
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