Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) has sent a letter to President Biden requesting a portion of the baby formula being collected under Operation Fly Formula be distributed through the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program to vendors in underserved communities like those in Hawaii.
Hirono also urged that steps be taken to ensure underserved families are provided with the necessary information so they can access the formula.
“No parent should have to worry about how to keep their child fed,” Hirono wrote in her July 25 letter. “In the fiscal year 2020, 6.2 million participants were served each month by the WIC program, which included nearly 50% of all infants born in the United States. Many of these 6.2 million participants rely on the WIC program to cover formula expenses, which can total hundreds of dollars each month for one dependent.”
The letter to Biden pointed out that WIC participants and people living in low-income, rural and underserved communities face difficulties in physically accessing and affording formula despite steps taken to make formula available nationwide. WIC purchases cannot be made online. Participants can only exercise their benefits in brick-and-mortar stores, according to a release from Hirono’s office. But the limited availability of formula at those outlets leaves WIC participants with few options.
“Many are forced to choose between driving hours to find formula that can be purchased with WIC benefits or paying high out-of-pocket prices online,” the senator wrote.
Migrant farmworkers are especially impacted. They often do not participate in federal food assistance programs due to ineligibility or fear of being denied green cards.
“Migrant farmworkers keep our nation fed,” Hirono wrote. “They should not be forced to worry about how to keep their own families fed.”
Hirono also urged that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) assist state WIC agencies to ensure underserved communities are receiving formula from Operation Fly Formula and that information about how to access formula is provided in multiple languages.