Arkansas WIC Promotora Program

Goal
Our goal is to establish and implement a pilot project in an urban setting (Little Rock) for reaching the Hispanic population. The project is designed to identify individuals who can promote the WIC Program in the targeted population.

History
This project is patterned after the Community Outreach/Promotoras Program currently established through the Center for Housing and Urban Development (CHUD) in the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University, Colonias Program. Texas A&M identified a need in the large territory in south Texas known as the Colonias, where the Hispanic population was 100% of the inhabitants and were unable to be an active part of Texas government and lifestyles due to barriers such as language, health and other social issues. CHUD established the Community Health Worker position and is now certified by the Texas Department of State Health as a “Sponsoring Institution/Training Program for Community Health Workers (CHWs)/Promotor/Promotoras.” The Texas project covers the Texas/Mexican border with 31 Community Resource Centers and is in the process of expanding into 14 other Texas rural communities.

Background
In June, 2007, representatives from the USDA-FNS Southwest Region and Arkansas WIC Program traveled to Texas A&M to visit with staff members of CHUD to discuss the possibility of establishing a similar program in Arkansas. Discussions included the rapid increase of the Hispanic population in the state of Arkansas, and some of the ways WIC could reach this audience to increase the health benefits to the babies born in Arkansas from the Hispanic community.

In October, 2007, the director of the Colonias Program/Promotoras Project came to Arkansas to meet with the WIC Program and the USDA-FNS Southwest Region WIC Director. Southwest Little Rock was identified as the most populated urban setting and the most likely to benefit from the project’s activities.

As of this date, the Arkansas WIC Program has employed two outreach workers, or Promotoras, who are currently participating in training through the Texas A&M program, and Department of Health and WIC orientation. Oscar Muñoz, CHUD Deputy Director of the Promotoras Program for Texas A&M, has been very active in this project, providing hands on training, guidance and consultation during the formation and initiation of this new outreach focus.

Upon completion of this training and orientation, the Promotoras will be ready to begin the outreach activities for this project. To get additional information regarding this project, please contact the Central Region Office at 501-280-4950 or e-mail veronica.dawson@arkansas.gov.