May 15, 2006 WIC Update

TO: Local WIC Provider Administrators, WIC Coordinators and WIC Nutrition Coordinators
SUBJECT: Annual WIC News Release
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: WIC Caseload Analysis
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: Federal WIC Budget
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: SUBJECT: Manual WIC Check Printing Program REVISED Updates as of May 15
Please disregard any previous messages about the Manual Check Printing Updates

1. Annual WIC News Release: The attached News Release has been distributed statewide. We encourage you to work with your local media to offer information about your Local WIC Agency. This is an excellent opportunity to share local WIC information with your local media and the public.
2. WIC Caseload Analysis: The State WIC office tracks caseload monthly. We monitor trends over time in order to plan for future food expenses. Attached is a spreadsheet that shows the monthly caseloads for FFY2001 - FFY2006 (line graph) and the data for FFY04, FFY05 and FFY06 caseloads broken out by month and infant no package breastfeeding and total eligible for food instruments. The yellow line on the graph is the number of clients in FFY2006 local agency contracts. You will notice that the caseload for April 2006 decreased. Based on trends for the past three years, this drop was unexpected especially given the client services enhancement funding that was made available to agencies for media-related activities. If you have thoughts on why caseloads are decreasing and recommendations for what can be done to increase caseload, please contact your district staff or Lyn Konstant (Lyn.Konstant@dhss.mo.gov or at 537-751-6204). We will continue to closely monitor caseload over the next few months.
   
3. Federal WIC Budget: The House of Representatives budget appropriations committee is continuing its work on the USDA budget that includes funding for the WIC program. Now would be an excellent time to let your Congressperson know the local impact of the WIC program in your community. Calls from local programs and constituents are key to your legislator knowing the importance of the work you do for women and children every day. If you need any additional information from the State WIC office, please contact Lyn Konstant (Lyn.Konstant@dhss.mo.gov or at 573-751-6204).
4. Manual WIC Check Printing Program REVISED Updates as of May 15
   Please disregard any previous messages about the Manual Check Printing Up
   dates

Additional changes have been made to the Manual WIC Check Printing application update files following those sent out May 1st.
It is imperative that these most recent update files be saved to the "C:\WIC Check" folder on each computer used to print Manual WIC Checks, and then updated in the Manual WIC Check printing application on each machine. Attached to this message are three (3) text (".txt") files needed for this procedure.

1. Save the three text ("txt) files attached to this message into the " C:\WIC Check " folder on each machine used to print manual WIC checks.
   - DO NOT change the name of the files. Allow the Saving/copying process to overwrite or replace any earlier files of the same name.
2. Open the Manual WI ; click the two buttons labeled " Update Item Prices " and " Update Packages."
   
   Items.txt
   Pkg.txt
   PkgItems.txt

If you need assistance with the above process, or do not receive all three text files, please call the HANDS Help Desk at (800) 554-2544 or call Melissa Seaver at 800-392-8209.