FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Suzanne Arnold, [email protected], (609) 610-4957 (M)

Washington, D.C. (March 18, 2021) – SCAN applauds Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) in the Senate and Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Kim Schrier (D-WA), and Don Young (R-AK) for reintroducing the WIC Act. This legislation would significantly improve maternal and infant health by expanding eligibility for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). For example, the bill would raise the WIC eligibility age from five to six. It would also extend the WIC re-certification period for infants and mothers to two years. This would not only reduce administrative work, but also allow mothers to remain in the program longer.

“SCAN is thrilled that the Wise Investment in Children Act is being reintroduced, and applauded Senators Casey and Collins, and Representatives DeLauro, Gonzalez-Colon, Sanchez, Schrier, and Young, for prioritizing children’s earliest years,” said Roy Chrobocinski, Director of Federal Government Relations at Save the Children Action Network (SCAN). “Countless studies have shown that 90 percent of a child’s brain is developed before the age of five. That’s why investments in these early years are so vital, so that children can receive the nutrients they need to develop strong bodies and minds. We hope this legislation is the first of many prioritizing child nutrition, paving the way for more bipartisan policy solutions to America’s worsening child huger crisis.”

SCAN – together with its 375,000 advocates nationwide – will continue to advocate for improved enrollment, eligibility and modernization of supplemental nutrition programs in the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization so that children have access to the critical nutrition and health services needed to grow, develop and thrive.

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Save the Children Action Network was created in 2014 as the political advocacy arm of Save the Children, to be the political voice for kids. We work to ensure that the issues critical to children’s lives and futures are given top priority by our elected leaders, building bipartisan support to make sure every child has a strong start in life. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.