Contact: Joe Weedon
(202) 277-9410
jweedon@zerotothree.org
Agriculture Appropriations Bill Fully Funds WIC, Helping to Ensure Babies and Their Families Have Access to Food And Nutrition Supports
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, ZERO TO THREE released the following statement from Miriam Calderón, Chief Policy Officer, on the Fiscal Year 2024 funding levels in the Agriculture Appropriations bill that includes funding for programs that support anti-hunger efforts, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC.
“ZERO TO THREE is thankful that Congress fully funded the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), a critical support for children and their families, in this final agreement. With this investment, Congress ensures that babies and their families will be able to secure the vital nutrition needed to thrive.
“Babies’ brains develop faster from birth to age three than at any other time of life, making access to nutrition support critical to healthy development. Babies’ early experiences – both positive and negative – build the foundation for brain architecture and physical and mental health that will support their ability to learn, grow and thrive. WIC increases healthy births, reduces infant mortality by 16%, improves child health and development, and supports healthy parents, paying for itself over time.
“This investment in WIC has overwhelming public support. Eighty-seven percent of parents with infants and toddlers say that addressing the needs of children and families should be a top or important priority this budget cycle. ZERO TO THREE is pleased that our nation’s decades-long history of ensuring WIC is fully funded will continue. We will continue to work with Congress to ensure that the nutritional needs of families with infants and toddlers remain top of mind.”
