Webinars

We invite our members to explore our various WIC-related webinars through our Online Community. To access the online community, log-in to your account and click "Go To The Online Community".

We offer webinars most Thursdays at 3:00pm ET. and they last one hour. See below for a schedule of upcoming webinars. Webinar archives are available to NWA members only. If you are a member, please log-in to your NWA account on www.nwica.org > go to “My Account” > “Go to Online Community” > “Webinar Archives,” which be located on the left menu bar.

CEUs are available for most webinars.

NWA Webinars

• Family Meals Month: A Model for Using Industry Promotions to Drive Redemption Rates webinar on August 14th, at 3:00 pm ET. Presented by Melanie Hall, Kellogg’s. Did you know there is one thing your clients can do to raise healthier, safer, and more successful children? Eating a home cooked meal as a family at least three times a week can provide these long lasting benefits. It’s easy! Or is it? Family Meals Month is a national Food Marketing Institute Campaign that equips industry and community partners with the tools needed to help families overcome common barriers to eating more meals together. The session will summarize some upcoming Family Meal Month partnerships between manufacturers, retailers, and WIC/SNAP agencies that will help you create a 2019 Family Meals Month plan for your clients.
• Within and Outside the WIC Clinic: Collaboration to Promote Breastfeeding-Friendly Environments webinar on August 16th at 3:00 pm ET. This webinar will discuss the importance of breastfeeding initiatives on the individual and policies, systems and environmental levels; describe ways in which Minnesota WIC supports and promotes breastfeeding for participants and staff; describe community partnerships which can improve support for breastfeeding outside the WIC environment; and discuss how mentoring of students can strengthen breastfeeding support efforts within and outside of WIC.
• Improving Nurse Breastfeeding Knowledge with a Hands-On Learning Intervention webinar on August 23rd at 3:00 pm ET. The webinar will discuss the results of a study created to evaluate the effectiveness of hands-on learning to improve nurse breastfeeding knowledge. The intervention was adapted from a WIC training platform that consisted of six participatory breastfeeding stations taught by nurse peers. Nurses completed a pretest assessment of breastfeeding knowledge before the training, and the same post test assessment after the training. Differences in pretest and post test scores differed significantly, reflecting an improvement in nurse breastfeeding knowledge. Attendees will be able to describe the efficacy of learners doing rather than just hearing and identify at least two new interactive teaching tools to utilize with staff for breastfeeding training purposes.
• Workplace Breastfeeding Laws & WIC’s Role in Supporting Breastfeeding Employees webinar on August 30th at 3:00 pm ET. Returning to work is challenging for breastfeeding mothers, often resulting in earlier than intended weaning. Workplace support is critical for the success of breastfeeding employees. This session will cover the changing landscape of workplace laws for breastfeeding employees, including recent legal rulings broadening the Pregnancy Discrimination Act to include lactation. State laws will also be addressed. We will explore WIC’s role in advocating for breastfeeding mothers who may be experiencing difficulties receiving the accommodations they are entitled to. Kansas WIC partnered with the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition (KBC) to provide education to WIC staff about how to advocate for breastfeeding employees. A referral system was created to provide a warm hand-off to the KBC for challenging cases. The Kansas WIC education and referral system can be easily replicated in other states with state programs with the capacity to assist with workplace advocacy efforts.

• Promising Practices to Improve Caseload and Retention webinar on September 6th, at 3:00 pm ET. CAI is a diverse, mission-driven non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of health care and social services delivered to vulnerable populations worldwide. CAI serves as the New York State WIC Training Center, providing training and technical assistance to local agencies statewide. CAI will describe their work with local agencies to understand and address issues related to caseload and retention and discuss key improvement strategies or promising practices identified through this process.

• Streamlining WIC Certifications webinar on September 11th at 3:00pm ET. Learn about concrete steps WIC agencies have taken to make certification simpler for applicants and staff. Over the last year, eight state and local WIC agencies have implemented action plans to streamline WIC certifications, with technical assistance from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Altarum Institute. Hear their experiences with making changes such as encouraging applicants to provide electronic documents or completing certification steps before the appointment.
• Impact of Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in Maryland on Selected WIC Agency Breastfeeding Rates and Maternal Experiences of Breastfeeding Support webinar on September 13th at 3:00 pm ET. As of 2010, no hospitals in Maryland were designated as Baby Friendly Hospitals (BFH). Being designated as a BFH confirms that a hospital has implemented the UNICEF/WHO Ten Steps Three hospitals in Maryland received Baby Friendly Certification in 2017. Each of these hospitals have a local WIC agency whose participants primarily deliver at that hospital. This study examines the impact of BFH status on mothers’ experiences with hospital infant feeding practices and postpartum breastfeeding support using a brief postpartum telephone survey with WIC participants (1-3 months postpartum) recruited from the three local WIC Agencies delivering at a BFH hospital and three local WIC agencies delivering at a non-BFH hospital. We will compare reports of receipt of breastfeeding supportive steps by WIC mothers in both settings. The results from this study will inform service provision and policy to address breastfeeding inequities.
• Getting 5 year old WIC children ready for Kindergarten webinar on October 4th at 3:00 pm ET, sponsored by NWA’s Local Agency Section. WIC is an ideal place to engage young parents to optimize the development and school readiness of young children. It is clear from current research that significant differences exist in children’s exposure to language-rich environments. Children born into poverty hear 30 million fewer words before they reach kindergarten than those who come from middle and higher income families. Because of this gap, children born into poorer families tend to test lower on school readiness scores than their higher income counterparts. This disparity develops before kids are even five years old and the gap continues throughout life. By pairing school readiness messages with WIC services from pregnancy through early childhood, children can graduate from WIC at age 5 ready for Kindergarten. This webinar will discuss the Little by Little Program, and the impact it is making on our WIC children!
• The Role of Anemia in Maternal Mortality: A Call to Action webinar on October 9th, at 3:00 pm ET. A recent global study confirmed the role anemia plays in maternal outcomes and mortality risks.  Understanding the differences in screening methods, as well as how anemia affects pregnant women, is vital to WIC's core mission.  The results of the 2018 Daru, et al study will be explained, and discussed from a WIC perspective.  The webinar will also discuss various screening methods for anemia, and how these differ.
• Helping WIC Families through the Opioid Crisis: Assessing, Supporting and Referring webinar on October 25th, at 3:00 pm ET. Join us for this webinar, sponsored by NWA’s Local Agency Section, to inform you about the national opioid crisis and give practical tools to help you respond to clinical situations. Gain skills in screening, referral and resources for individuals and families in the WIC program struggling with opioid misuse.  Ask questions and share experiences on the impact of the issue in your local setting.
• New Research Unveils What WIC Infant and Young Children are Eating: 2016 Feeding Infants and Toddler Study (FITS) webinar on November 13th, at 3:00 pm ET. Some noteworthy success has been achieved in dietary patterns since 2008; however, additional progress is needed to ensure infants and young children are receiving optimal nutrition for growth and development. This new FITS data offers unique evidence on the impact of the revised WIC food packages and is particularly relevant for the WIC Staff who are on the front line engaging and inspiring families to make healthy eating choices.
• WIC Nutrition Assessment Practices webinar on December 11th at 3:00pm ET. Nutrition Assessment in WIC is a delicate balancing act of sometimes competing priorities. Staff are often instructed to be thorough but build rapport, collect accurate data but use conversational assessment, provide education but only after a complete assessment and identify all applicable risk factors but don't overwhelm the participant with nutrition education. It can get complicated! Join this webinar for an interactive opportunity to explore pitfalls and best practices in WIC Nutrition Assessment Practices.

To attend these NWA webinars, you must register in advance. The links below take you directly to registration. Upon completing your registration, you will receive a confirmation email. If you don't see that email, please check your spam/junk mail folder. We strongly recommend you add sqldba@icohere.com to your email safe senders list to be sure you get your confirmation and other important emails about the webinar.

Have a webinar idea? Email us: webinars@nwica.org.