WIC breastfeeding peer counselors(o)

The Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service awarded the NYS Department of Health $5.913 million on October 1, 2025, through the WIC Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (CFDA 10.557) formula grant to fund breastfeeding peer counselor services.

The award supports peer counselor positions and related activities that promote and sustain breastfeeding among low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women and their infants participating in WIC. The NYS Department of Health administers the grant as the state agency fiscal intermediary and distributes funds to 28 local WIC agencies across New York State, which employ and oversee the peer counselors at the point of service delivery.

The funding obligation is $5.913 million with a period of performance from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. All work is performed in New York. This is a formula grant — an entitlement allocation distributed to the state under statutory formulas rather than a competitive award. The WIC program provides supplemental nutritious foods, nutrition education, and health and social service referrals to income-eligible pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five at nutritional risk. The breastfeeding peer counselor component specifically supports breastfeeding promotion and lactation support as part of the broader nutrition education and health referral services.