In 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration released a national strategy to end hunger in America by 2030 and significantly reduce the toll of diet-related chronic illness and disease. Central to this bold vision was maximizing the reach of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which for more than 50 years has provided critical nutrition benefits and health resources that have transformed the lives of so many people.
But as the national strategy noted, there is a significant barrier to achieving these goals: “Too often, people are eligible for federal assistance programs but do not benefit from them.” New data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proves the point: millions of women, babies and young children who meet the criteria for WIC are not enrolled.
