NPI evaluation of the increase to the WIC Cash Value Benefit for fruits and vegetables presented at 2022 National WIC Association Virtual National Policy Conference

The American Rescue Plan Act increased the monthly benefit for participants in the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to purchase fruits and vegetables–also known as the Cash Value Benefit. The amount increased from $9 per month for children and $11 per month for women participants to $35 for all participants over the summer of 2021. Further adjustments were made to the benefits in October 2021, which changed to $24 per month for children and $45 and $47 for women, depending on their breastfeeding status, through the end of March 2022. Researchers at the Nutrition Policy Institute collaborated with the National WIC Association to understand how this increase impacted child fruit and vegetable intake and participants' perceptions of the increase to the Cash Value Benefit. Lorrene Ritchie, Nutrition Policy Institute director and cooperative extension specialist, presented evaluation findings on Feb. 15 2022 during a presentation at the 2022 National WIC Association Virtual National Policy Conference titled, “Building on the WIC Benefit Bump: Opportunities to Further Align WIC with DGA Recommendations”. Evaluation findings suggest the higher benefit amount may improve child fruit and vegetable intake by up to 1/3 cup per day, and that WIC participants prefer the higher amount.