Butler County Board of Health authorizes WIC and breastfeeding peer‑counselor contract for 2026

Jamie Downes, Butler County Health Department, told commissioners the county’s annual WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) contract and the breastfeeding peer counselor (BFPC) grant will reflect reduced funding for the coming grant year. Downes said the WIC award is about $6,100 lower and the BFPC grant about $2,800 lower than the current year; overall the department expects about $9,000 less than the current grant year under the federal/state funding formula.

Downes said staff can absorb the reduction and requested authority to electronically sign the official contract when it arrives; she said the County had not received the official paperwork by the meeting but had a sample contract on file and the sample had been reviewed by county counsel. Downes reassured commissioners the department could make the reduced award work and that the state indicated the reduced funding likely represents the full year allocation.

A commissioner moved to approve the WIC/BFPC contract for fiscal year 2026 for a total of $239,370 between Butler County Health Department and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and authorized the health director to sign electronically. The motion was seconded and passed 5–0.

Why it matters: WIC and BFPC fund nutritional supports and breastfeeding counseling for eligible residents; reductions may require internal adjustments to services or budgets.

Ending: Downes said she must return to complete a WIC audit and thanked the commission for approval.