Action Center

Unfortunately, the bill would require 12 months residency in Iowa before allowing a person to qualify for child care assistance or welfare.

HF 2716 would also take away the WIC program (nutrition for Women, Infants and Children) from persons who are undocumented or are eligible to work without being a Legal Permanent Resident. WIC is one of the few federal programs that undocumented people can qualify for if their income is low enough.

The ICC does not support the change because we want children to thrive before and after they are born and WIC helps provide essential nutrition to pregnant women and infants during their most vulnerable stages. WIC is 100 percent federally funded so cutting eligibility does not save any money at the state level. Opposing this can be seen as a part of our pro-life work to address the real challenges of having a baby by supporting women and helping meet their needs.

By preventing WIC from serving every eligible individual, HF 2716 may lead to worse pregnancy and birth outcomes, lower rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration, and poorer diet quality. WIC already has strict eligibility standards, requiring all participants to be low income, reside in the state where they are receiving WIC services, and be at nutritional risk, ensuring they will benefit from WIC’s targeted nutrition support. WIC currently serves 62,000 Iowans, including 12,000 pregnant and post-partum women, 14,000 infants, and 36,000 young children.

We encourage you to contact your member of the Iowa House and ask them to make sure WIC is not taken away from any people who qualify by reason of income.

Thank you.