La. Admin. Code tit. 48 § V-4307

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section V-4307 - Certification Periods

A. WIC benefits shall be based upon certifications established in accordance with the following timeframes.

1. Pregnant women shall be certified for the duration of their pregnancy and for up to six weeks postpartum.

2. Postpartum women shall be certified for up to six months postpartum.

3. Breastfeeding women shall be certified at intervals of approximately six months and ending with the breastfed infant's first birthday.

4. Infants shall be certified up until their first birthday.

5. Children shall be certified at intervals of approximately one year and ending with the end of the month in which a child reaches its fifth birthday. WIC clinic staff shall ensure children certified for a year shall be offered a mid-certification assessment, which includes a health and nutrition assessment (review of anthropometrics, blood work, and a brief update of the health and dietary assessment), immunizations screening, nutrition education, and referrals to other health and social services, within a certification period. Food benefits shall not be denied to parents/guardians who refuse to obtain the mid-certification assessment for their children.

B. Upon request, WIC participants shall receive verification of certification (VOC) when transferring to another WIC program out of state.

C. If the nutritional risk determination is based on data taken before the time of entrance into the program, the certification period for breastfeeding women and children shall be based upon the date when the data was first taken.

D. WIC participants receiving program benefits may be disqualified during a certification period for the following reasons:

1. WIC participant violation including, but not limited to, intentionally making false or misleading statements or intentionally misrepresenting, concealing, or withholding facts to obtain WIC benefits; exchanging WIC benefits for cash, credit, non-food items, or unauthorized food items, including WIC approved food items in excess of those listed on the participant's WIC benefit; threatening to harm or physically harming vendor staff; or making a written, electronic, or verbal offer to sell WIC benefits, including WIC approved food items, and/or WIC EBT cards, or allowing someone else to do so.

2. If LA WIC experiences funding shortages, it may be necessary to discontinue program benefits to a number of certified and participating WIC participants. LA WIC shall not enroll new participants during the period when currently participating WIC participants, those who have received WIC benefits during a current certification, are denied remaining WIC benefits.

La. Admin. Code tit. 48, § V-4307

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Resources, Office of Preventive and Public Health Services, LR 13:246 (April 1987), Amended by the Department of Health, Office of Public Health, LR 43336 (2/1/2017), Amended LR 491403 (8/1/2023).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 46:972.