Frontline Staff Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators to WIC Referrals Among Eligible Refugee, Immigrant, and Migrant Populations

OBJECTIVE: To better understand the experiences of frontline staff who work with Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)-eligible refugee, immigrant, and migrant (RIM) populations, specifically their experiences with the WIC program, role in the WIC referral process, and facilitators of and barriers to the referral process. DESIGN: Qualitative; 3 groups and 11 individual interviews. SETTING: In-person or virtual. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one frontline staff from 12 local organizations. PHENOMENON OF INTEREST: Frontline staff's role in the WIC referral process, and facilitators of and barriers to the process. ANALYSIS: Thematic analysis. RESULTS: Ten themes emerged. Facilitator themes focused on easier WIC benefit redemption, RIM family reliance on WIC for food and formula, the essential role of frontline staff in connecting RIM families with WIC, child citizenship eligibility, and health care-based enrollment. Barrier themes focused on stigma related to benefit redemption, cultural and social barriers (e.g., language and transportation), WIC meeting requirements and food restrictions, limited cultural flexibility, and frontline staff unfamiliarity with WIC. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Frontline staff play a crucial role in referring RIM families to WIC, but improvements are still needed in both the referral process and program. The findings can inform frontline staff training, guide future research, and support advocacy for policy change.