The Family Food Economy: The Role of WIC in Meeting Needs Craig Gundersen University of Illinois Soybean Industry Endowed Professor of Agricultural Strategy, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics

Questions From committee From title How do SNAP and other child nutrition programs interact with WIC? How might individuals getting WIC and one of these other programs shop differently or spend money on food differently? Does the availability of SNAP affect redemptions of WIC foods? From title As currently constructed, should we anticipate that WIC would have an impact on meeting family needs?

SNAP An amazing program High benefits for families central goal is to alleviate food insecurity and it succeeds also improves well-being over other dimensions High benefits for families maximum of almost $700 per month for a family of 4 average benefit of about $250 per month for a family of 4 Has a profound effect on the family food economy WIC can learn a lot from SNAP if this is a goal of WIC

How do SNAP and other child nutrition programs interact with WIC?

How do SNAP and other child nutrition programs interact with WIC?

How might individuals getting WIC and one of these other programs shop differently or spend money on food differently? Unlikely that would shop differently goal would be to optimize use of SNAP benefits since substantially larger price quality selection accessibility Products that are available through WIC are generally available at any major food retailer virtually all SNAP benefits are spent at major food retailers especially true for infant formula

Does the availability of SNAP affect redemptions of WIC foods? To answer, compare “inframarginal” status across various categories if SNAP and WIC recipients are similar to other categories, unlikely that SNAP is affecting use of WIC benefits Results SANP and WIC recipients: 85.2% spend more on food than they receive with SNAP SNAP recipients and eligible non-WIC recipients: 84.5% spend more on food than they receive with SNAP all SNAP recipients: 86.4% spend more on food than they receive with SNAP So, unlikely that SNAP is influencing redemption of WIC foods or vice-versa

As currently constructed, should we anticipate that WIC would have an impact on meeting family needs? WIC does have a demonstrated positive impact on several outcomes, especially for birth outcomes and infant health this does benefit households As currently constructed, one should not expect WIC to have large impacts on meeting family needs not that appealing to households with children one year of age and older especially true for older children across all age groups, value of benefits is quite small especially in comparison to benefits of other programs like SNAP and EITC Unlike SNAP, WIC is unlikely to have a large impact on meeting family needs lots of other programs that fall into this same portrayal

As currently constructed, should we anticipate that WIC would have an impact on meeting family needs? Some suggestions on how WIC could have a larger impact consider making the “WIC basket” less strict and more appealing very little evidence (if any) that the composition of the “WIC basket” influences positive impacts would increase redemption of WIC benefits would increase participation by children would likely increase breastfeeding rates ascertain ways that WIC participants could more easily access SNAP make WIC more like SNAP