File #: Res 0391-2004    Version: * Name: Ensure that WIC is adequately funded to meet caseload needs.
Type: Resolution Status: Filed
Committee: Committee on General Welfare
On agenda: 6/7/2004
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: Resolution urging Congress and the President to take immediate steps to ensure that WIC is adequately funded to meet caseload needs for the remainder of the current Federal Fiscal Year ending September 30, 2004, and calling on the Federal Government to ensure that WIC participants in New York City and across the nation are not placed on waiting lists or cut from this critical nutrition and health program for Federal Fiscal Year 2005 and beyond.
Sponsors: Gale A. Brewer, Maria Baez, Charles Barron, Leroy G. Comrie, Jr., Erik Martin Dilan, Helen D. Foster, Alan J. Gerson, John C. Liu, Margarita Lopez, Miguel Martinez, Hiram Monserrate, Michael C. Nelson, Annabel Palma, Philip Reed, James Sanders, Jr., Helen Sears, Albert Vann, David I. Weprin, Robert Jackson
Council Member Sponsors: 19

Res. No. 391

 

Resolution urging Congress and the President to take immediate steps to ensure that WIC is adequately funded to meet caseload needs for the remainder of the current Federal Fiscal Year ending September 30, 2004, and calling on the Federal Government to ensure that WIC participants in New York City and across the nation are not placed on waiting lists or cut from this critical nutrition and health program for Federal Fiscal Year 2005 and beyond.

 

By Council Members Brewer, Baez, Barron, Comrie, Dilan, Foster, Gerson, Liu, Lopez, Martinez, Monserrate, Nelson, Palma, Reed, Sanders, Sears, Vann, Weprin and Jackson

 

 

Whereas, The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (“WIC”) has an extraordinary 30-year record of preventing children’s health problems and improving their health, growth and development; and

                     Whereas, WIC serves approximately 290,000 women, infants and children in New York City and more than 7.89 million women, infants and children nationally-nearly one out of every two children born in this nation annually; and

Whereas, Nutrition services at WIC include educating families about nutrition and breastfeeding, supplying nutritious foods, and providing improved healthcare access for low and moderate income women and children who have, or are at risk of developing, nutrition related health problems; and

Whereas, WIC has been shown to reduce infant mortality and low and very-low birth weights, while dramatically reducing health care costs; and

Whereas, Studies show that WIC children enter school ready to learn and demonstrate better cognitive performance than children without proper nourishment; and

Whereas, WIC’s committed, results-oriented, entrepreneurial staff stretch resources to serve women and children and to ensure program effectiveness and integrity; and

Whereas, As the nation’s premier public health nutrition program, WIC is a cost-effective, sound investment that ensures the health of our children; and

Whereas, WIC is drawing down its contingency funds in 2004 and faces a projected $135 million shortfall in funding for 2005 due to a 7% increase in dairy costs, a 20% increase in egg prices and a 30% increase in the wholesale cost of DHA/ARA enhanced infant formulas; and

Whereas, WIC is vital to the overall health and nutritional well being of low-income, vulnerable, nutritionally at-risk women, infants and children of this City; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York urges Congress and the President to take immediate steps to ensure that WIC is adequately funded to meet caseload needs for the remainder of the current Federal Fiscal Year ending September 30, 2004, and calls on the Federal Government to ensure that WIC participants in New York City and across the nation are not placed on waiting lists or cut from this critical nutrition and health program for Federal Fiscal Year 2005 and beyond.

 

 

 

 

 

LS#1098

6/2/04