Federal Grant Award Summary

The Arkansas Department of Health received a Formula Grant award of $16.2 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service under the WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) program (CFDA 10.557), obligated on October 1, 2025, with a performance period through September 30, 2026. This award funds administrative expenses associated with WIC program operations in Arkansas, which provides supplemental nutritious foods, nutrition education (including breastfeeding promotion and support), and referrals to health and social services for income-eligible pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five determined to be at nutritional risk.

As the state agency administering WIC in Arkansas, the Arkansas Department of Health uses this funding to support program administration across its centralized office and 75 county-based local health units. These administrative expenses enable the state agency to oversee program certification processes, manage food delivery systems, administer nutrition education initiatives, process food instrument issuance and redemption, maintain compliance with civil rights and fair hearing procedures, and coordinate referrals to health and social services. The formula grant structure provides predictable, ongoing funding for the core operational infrastructure required to deliver WIC services statewide to eligible low-income families.