Dr. Thoma will present her ongoing research on the impact of external shocks on WIC program initiatives. She will focus on one study examining the ability of state WIC agency benefit transfer systems to facilitate prenatal WIC enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic.  To explore this question, we analyze birth certificate data with information on prenatal WIC participation. Findings suggest that all states experienced declines in prenatal WIC enrollment during the pandemic, but states with electronic benefit transfer systems (EBT), regardless of type, declined less than states without EBT systems in place. This has implications for understanding how program design choices and system modernizations can mitigate risk, influence early enrollment into WIC, and better navigate future shocks.

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