WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors Formula Grant Award Summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service awarded the Iowa Department of Public Health $696,764 through a Formula Grant under the WIC Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (CFDA 10.557) effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. This funding supports breastfeeding peer counselor services as part of Iowa's WIC program operations, delivering nutrition education and breastfeeding promotion and support to income-eligible pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five who are at nutritional risk. The award represents one component of Iowa's broader WIC administration, which received over $51.85 million in total WIC formula grants for food and administrative expenses in fiscal year 2025-2026.

As the designated state WIC agency, the Iowa Department of Public Health distributes formula grant funding to local agencies and sub-awardees including county health departments and community action organizations statewide to support program implementation. The breastfeeding peer counselor component specifically enhances nutrition education services and breastfeeding support, aligning with the WIC program's statutory requirement to provide nutrition education, including breastfeeding promotion and support, to eligible participants across Iowa.