Funded Projects

Advancing WIC Enrollment for Ages Two–Five

Project Year

2026

City & State

New York, New York

Program Name

Resident

Topic

Social Drivers of Health

Program Description

Problem: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) participation is associated with a wide spread of invaluable benefits ranging from reduced infant mortality to reduced incidence in child obesity.³ Nevertheless, despite ongoing eligibility through a child’s fifth birthday, participation in WIC declines sharply after age two. Nationally, WIC participation declines from 64% among 1-year-olds to 25% among 4-year-olds,¹ and data from NYP-affiliated WIC offices demonstrate a similar pattern.  Studies have found that stigma, mis-coordination between clinics and benefit agencies, and redundant documentation requirements (particularly, measurements of height, weight, and hemoglobin) are key contributors to disengagement from WIC despite ongoing eligibility.⁹    

Primary Setting, Population and Goal: This quality improvement (QI) project will be implemented at the Washington Heights Family Health Center (WHFHC), a patient-centered medical home with universal food insecurity (FI) screening and one of four academic pediatric practices serving a predominantly Medicaid-insured population (95%) with high rates of reported FI (20%) in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx. Community perspectives and education will be incorporated through collaboration with Upper Manhattan Early Childhood Connect (UMECC), which serves a similar population across Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx.  Our SMART aim is to increase WIC readiness (defined as having all required medical WIC documentation up to date: height, weight and hemoglobin testing) among WIC-eligible children ages 2–5 by 20% by May 2027 who present for their well-child visits (WCVs). Approximately 6,400 children ages 2–5 are seen annually at the NewYork-Presbyterian Ambulatory Care Network (ACN) and may be impacted long term by this intervention.  

Interventions: This is a new, CBOs-supported QI initiative that combines planning and initial implementation of:   Caregiver Education: Language-concordant materials and a UMECC-led workshop informed by identified barriers to increase awareness of WIC services. Provider/CBO Collaborative Education: Population-centered training on WIC eligibility, benefits, and documentation after age two, with a stigma-free approach. Workflow Standardization: Updates to after-visit summaries, including QR codes linking to virtual WIC appointments. Logistical Support: MA-led POC hemoglobin visits offered outside WCVs to reduce caregiver time burden.  To support sustainability in high-volume clinics and based on feedback from NYP-affiliated WIC offices, this project does not rely on referrals. A key driver diagram is available in the attachments.  

Community Partnerships: Strong partnerships are central to this project and include collaboration with the five NYP-affiliated WIC offices, UMECC (a cross-sector collective impact collaborative), and WSCAH (a citywide food pantry). These CBOs will support identification of community-specific barriers to WIC enrollment and the development of caregiver and provider education, extending the intervention beyond the clinical setting.  

Measurement and Anticipated Outcomes: Outcome measures will include the increased percentage of WIC-eligible children ages 2–5 with documented WIC readiness, as defined above. Anticipated outcomes include improved understanding of caregiver- and provider-identified barriers to WIC participation; implementation of a sustainable, practice-embedded workflow designed for future expansion across the NewYork-Presbyterian Ambulatory Care Network (ACN); and dissemination of findings through collaboration with CBOs. Together, these efforts aim to increase awareness of WIC benefits and empower caregivers to access nutrition assistance for their children. 

Project Goal

Our SMART aim is to increase WIC readiness (defined as having all required medical WIC documentation up to date: height, weight and hemoglobin testing) among WIC-eligible children ages 2–5 by 20% by May 2027 who present for their well-child visits (WCVs).

Project Objective 1

Increase the percentage of WIC-eligible children ages 2–5 with documented WIC readiness (defined as up-to-date height, weight, and hemoglobin by 20% at the Washington Heights Family Health Center by May 2027.

Project Objective 2

Collect caregiver-reported WIC barriers and experiences from 15 families of WIC-eligible children ages 2–5, with at least 60% of surveys completed in Spanish (to ensure equitable representation) by August 2026.

Project Objective 3

Increase caregiver-perceived readiness to access WIC services and understanding of WIC benefits for children ages 2–5 by 20%, following participation in a UMECC co-developed, caregiver-informed WIC workshop by May 2027.

AAP District

District II

Institutional Name

New York-Presbyterian Hospital Ambulatory Care Network

Contact 1

Janice Delgado Díaz, MD