More than half of Louisiana’s WIC clinics failed to meet required outreach standards, most operated only during traditional business hours, and the state ranked last in the nation for participation in the federal nutrition program, according to a performance audit by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor.

The analysis found the Louisiana Department of Health did not adequately oversee outreach efforts intended to connect eligible women, infants and children with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC.

Auditors concluded stronger oversight, expanded clinic access and improved community outreach could increase participation among families eligible for the federally funded program.

The audit also found Louisiana returned approximately $111.6 million in unused federal WIC food benefits to the U.S. Department of Agriculture between federal fiscal years 2021 and 2024 because eligible participants did not redeem them. The benefits were federal funds, not state taxpayer dollars.

During federal fiscal year 2024, about 92,000 people participated in Louisiana’s WIC program even though an estimated 196,000 residents were eligible, placing the state last nationally for participation.

State policy requires every WIC clinic to conduct at least one outreach activity each month to raise awareness of the program among eligible residents. However, auditors found 56 of Louisiana’s 100 WIC clinics failed to report meeting that requirement during federal fiscal year 2025, up from 51 clinics the previous year.

The audit also found weaknesses in the department’s oversight. Although the department said it reviews clinic outreach reports and issues findings when clinics fail to comply, auditors determined it identified only four of the 56 clinics that failed to meet the monthly outreach requirement.

According to the audit, the department generally reviews outreach activities only during comprehensive evaluations, which state policy requires for at least 20% of clinics each year, rather than reviewing reports submitted by every clinic.

Auditors also found clinics lacked clear guidance on what qualified as outreach. They reviewed 3,780 outreach activities reported during federal fiscal years 2024 and 2025 and found 328 were not consistent with the department’s outreach goals.

Examples included answering telephone calls, donating unused infant formula and processing prescription formula requests for participants already enrolled in the program rather than activities intended to reach eligible families who were not participating.

Access to services presented another challenge. Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates 77% of WIC households nationally include working families, 81 of Louisiana’s 100 WIC clinics operate only between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Just 19 clinics offer appointments outside those hours, and only two provide weekend appointments. The department’s own 2024 WIC Participant Satisfaction Survey found that 275 of 518 complaints, or 53.1%, involved appointment availability.

The audit also found Louisiana has limited alternatives for residents who cannot easily travel to a clinic. While at least 11 states use mobile WIC clinics or other approaches to deliver services outside traditional offices, Louisiana operates one mobile clinic that serves Barksdale Air Force Base. Auditors identified several communities, including Vinton, Raceland, Kaplan, Jeanerette and Mandeville, where large numbers of lower-income residents live more than 10 miles from the nearest WIC clinic.

In addition to recommending expanded mobile services, auditors said the department should increase off-site appointments in the community and strengthen partnerships with home visiting programs that can help enroll eligible mothers and children. The report noted other states have used community-based appointments to increase enrollment and said Louisiana could build on its existing partnership with the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program to help families enroll outside traditional clinic settings.

Survey results included in the audit suggest personal connections often played a larger role in enrollment than clinic outreach. Among 424 current WIC participants surveyed, 63.7% said family or friends encouraged them to enroll, while 42.7% said a medical professional encouraged them.

To improve participation, auditors recommended the department review outreach reports from every clinic each month, provide clearer guidance on acceptable outreach activities, expand appointment availability outside traditional business hours, increase mobile and off-site services, and continue developing partnerships that help enroll families in community settings.

The Louisiana Department of Health agreed with the recommendations. In its response, the department said it will begin reviewing outreach reports from every clinic each month, update outreach policies and clinic toolkits, and continue a statewide initiative launched in December 2025 aimed at increasing WIC participation by 25% by the end of 2026.

Wrapping June’s National Gun Violence Awareness Month commemorations, community leaders, advocates and health care professionals met with Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey (D) to discuss community-based solutions to address safety concerns across Prince George’s County.

For Ivey, who served as state’s attorney for Prince George’s County from 2003-2011, gun violence solutions start with the community. 

‘It’s not necessarily just funding, but it’s connecting people,” Ivey said during the June 29 conversation at Union Bar and Grill in Hyattsville. “You can be a catalyst on that front.” 

The congressman listened and spoke to residents and representatives from gun violence and health organizations, including: University of Maryland Medical System CAP-VIP Program; University of Maryland Capital Region Hospital Trauma Services; University of Maryland Progress Initiative; Community Justice Action Fund; Hope in Action; Everytown for Gun Safety; Guns Down Friday; Jacob’s Ladder Youth Foundation; and Maryland Crime Victim’s Resource Center.

According to the Maryland Department of Health, firearms were connected to 17 injuries and 16 homicides in the county between January and May of this year. Between 2024 and 2025, homicides dropped by 40% from 96 fatalities to 57. Youth violence also declined, with 21 people under the age of 25 who died from firearms in 2025, a drop from 45 deaths in 2024.

Still Jawanna Hardy is working to reduce numbers even more.

“That bullet, it goes so far,” said Hardy, founder of Guns Down Friday. “It hits the entire community.”

One point of discussion was funding gaps for various programs addressing community violence, whether due to federal cuts, grant delays or inconsistent funds for state and local initiatives. 

Many attendees present advocated for gun violence solutions starting with county programming,, primarily by establishing an office dedicated to gun violence prevention.

“It’s sustainable because it’s built into the state and county budget,” said Joseph Richardson, co-director of the University of Maryland’s gun violence research initiative PROGRESS. 

For Donica Thompson, an Injury Prevention and Outreach coordinator for Trauma Services at UM Capital Region Health, the county needs more support for basic necessities like mental health, education, housing and employment.

“I feel the community needs to take more action,” Thompson said. “Create opportunities for the youth, create more jobs for the youth.”

The conversation ended with Ivey affirming the need to begin building towards a local office to address gun violence prevention through conversations with Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. 

“I think it makes a lot of sense, because [then] we have a stakeholder,” Ivey said.

As a staunch advocate for addressing gun violence, Hardy was overall optimistic about the conversation and hopes it’ll prove to be effective for the county in the future.

“I just pray that there is a solution to the problems, not just us talking about it,” she told The Informer. “But I’m feeling very hopeful.”