The Sonoma County Woman, Infants and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program received the USDA Premiere Breastfeeding Award of Excellence on August 18.  The WIC is a national program that helps low income mothers and children by giving out money to buy healthier food options, as well as formula if it is needed. They also teach classes about nutrition taught by licensed dieticians, and have lactation consultants to help nursing mothers.

 The Sonoma County branch is the only California WIC to be awarded a Premiere this year. This is their third time winning a Breastfeeding Award of Excellence. The last time they won was in 2020, when they were awarded the Gold Award.

The Breastfeeding Award of Excellence, previously called the Loving Support Award of Excellence, has three levels: Gold, Premiere, and Elite, with Elite being the highest honor. The USDA appears to have changed the titles switching over from Gold Primere to just Premiere in 2020. 

The director of the Sonoma County WIC, Aileen Rodriguez credits this win to her staff: “Our peer coordinators and lactation experts offer excellent support to breastfeeding mothers which makes us stand out.”   

Rodriguez also says the program’s affiliation with local business helps the program. The Sonoma County WIC works with local hospitals for their breastpump exchange program. They also partner with some of the Santa Rosa Farmers Market vendors for fresh produce and the Redwood Food Bank to provide diapers. 

Clearly, as the two awards show, the COVID-19 pandemic did not slow the WIC down. They have switched over to telephone visits and virtual lactation appointments. 

Over the past year and a half, the WIC has helped 500 more participants. While some of these cases are from more people qualifying for benefits, Rodriguez says that the lack of transportation barriers may have brought in many of those people. Because of the convenience, these measures are likely to stick around post-COVID-19. 

That’s not to say there weren’t COVID-19-based struggles. Original USDA rules for WIC had a physical presence requirement but that was eventually waived. Luckily, the Sonoma County WIC had already switched to a web-based program so the only adaptations needed were the digital and telephone appointments themselves.  

Right now the staff is operating on a hybrid model, with some still working from home and the rest in the WIC office. 

The number of participants in the program is not the only thing to have increased during the last two years. The Biden administration’s increased benefits for food stamps has also increased the amount the WIC is able to give to families. 

The USDA site states that these awards are to “recognize local WIC agencies that have provided exemplary breastfeeding promotion and support activities.”

However, Rodriguez explains her program very simply. “The WIC is a great program,” she said. “Supporting our infants. children and moms is a great investment for our society and community.”

If you want to learn more about the Sonoma County WIC or get in contact with them, you can find their website at https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Health/Public-Health/Woman-Infants-Children/ or call them at (707) 565-6590.