Food

Supporting Healthy Eating on a Budget Integrated Care Rounds (January 2026)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

NC InCK's January 2026 Integrated Care Rounds discuss food security and eating healthy on a budget. This session shares helpful resources for families, including ways to maximize WIC and SNAP benefits.

Click this link for the January 2026 Integrated Care Rounds slide deck.

Key Takeaways

  • Food insecurity is a health and safety issue, not just a nutrition issue. Inconsistent access to healthy, adequate food is strongly linked to poorer physical health, behavioral and school challenges, caregiver stress, and increased interaction with child and adult support systems. Recognizing food insecurity as a preventable risk factor is critical to early intervention and long-term family well-being.
  • Healthy eating on a limited budget is possible with practical, realistic strategies. Small, actionable changes like using canned and frozen vegetables, choosing store brands, and shopping sales can meaningfully improve diet quality without increasing costs. Care managers play a key role in sharing these strategies with families in a judgment-free, culturally responsive guidance way.  
  • SNAP and WIC are essential tools and care managers can help families stay enrolled. Care managers can support families by educating them about the enrollment process; facilitating recertification by encouraging families to keep contact info updated in ePASS/with their local DSS office; and helping families navigate newly expanded SNAP work requirements, including connecting them to options to meet requirements like volunteering or employment programs. Proactive support helps ensure families maintain access to food at all times. 

Resources

Concrete Economic Supports Part 2 Integrated Care Rounds (June 2023)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

The NC InCK team and our guests discussed economic hardship and its impact of children and families during the second part of the Concrete Economic Supports Integrated Care Rounds event (June 2023).

Click this link for the June 2023 Concrete Economic Supports Integrated Care Rounds slide deck.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2023 NC Child Health Report Card found that 40% of children in North Carolina live in poor or low-income households. Poverty, the stress caused by the experience of poverty, and the interaction with multiple systems is linked with multiple poorer health and well-being outcomes.  
  • This training includes information on accessing supports, including clothing, internet, utilities, WorkFirst, and Unemployment benefits. Use these resources in addition to those shared in the March 2023 Integrated Care Rounds. Viewers will learn how to support families through understanding and applying for supports.   
  • Family Navigators should actively support families in connecting to and enrolling in economic supports through walking with them to complete forms, calling access lines, and following up on applications.  

Resources

Food Integrated Care Rounds (June 2022)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

The June 2022 Food Integrated Care Rounds event shares information on Food & Nutrition Support and other helpful resources. NC InCK and our guests discussed food insecurity and how Family Navigators can help address food insecurity for children and families.

Click this link for the June 2022 Food Integrated Care Rounds slide deck.

Key Takeaways

  • In NC InCK’s five counties, approximately 20% of households with children are food insecure. 
  • Food insecurity impacts all aspects of a child’s health. Children who experience food insecurity at any age are at risk for poor health outcomes that can continue into adulthood.  
  • Family Navigators can address food insecurity by understanding common barriers for accessing food and nutrition support, creating safe spaces to ask about food needs, and connecting families with federal nutrition support programs and insurance provider benefits.

Resources

  • NC InCK Food Resources for Schools and Partners: A two-page guide with information on accessing SNAP, WIC, and school meals 
  • WIC Referral Form: A DHHS referral form for the Women’s Infants and Children program to receive outreach from a child’s local health department on the program 
  • How to apply for SNAP: DHHS site with information on the three ways to apply for SNAP benefits 
  • More in My Basket: A center based at NC State University which can support families in completing their applications for SNAP 
  • Summer Meals: Information on how to access a summer meals site near you (June-August)  

Enhanced Services ECHO Series (February 2023)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

The NC InCK team and our guests discussed enhanced services, including Pre-K applications, nutrition services, and value-added services during the February 2023 ECHO Series event.

Click this link for the Enhanced Services ECHO Series Integrated Care Rounds slide deck.

Key Takeaways

  • Applications for Pre-K open in the Spring of each year, and districts have different eligibility and application deadlines. Details and links to Pre-K programs in NC InCK’s six school districts are provided.  
  • COVID-era food benefits are expiring, and Family Navigators can play an important role in connecting families to WIC, school meals, and making sure families are receiving the maximum SNAP benefit.  
  • Each PHP has a robust set of value-added services for families. This training walks through school supply, asthma, doula, and tutoring benefits offered by PHPs with links to each benefit page.

Resources

Child Care Referral Center: Search for child care options in your area or see contact details for the Referral Center for support in finding child care or applying to Pre-K

 

Online web pages to find the value-added benefits by Prepaid Health Plan: 

  1. Amerihealth Benefits 
  2. CCH Benefits 
  3. Healthy Blue Benefits 
  4. United Benefits 
  5. Wellcare Benefits 

Concrete Economic Supports Part 1 Integrated Care Rounds (March 2023)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

The NC InCK team and our guests discussed economic hardship and its impact of children and families during the March 2023 Concrete Economic Supports Integrated Care Rounds event.

Click this link for the March 2023 Concrete Economic Supports Integrated Care Rounds slide deck.

Key Takeaways

  • Poverty and the stress it creates is a systemic factor that is linked to negative outcomes across all core child service areas. 
  • Concrete and economic supports are goods and services that address a family's needs and can serve as protective factors for families, offsetting the impact of poverty.   
  • Family Navigators should actively support families in connecting to and enrolling in economic supports such as SNAP, WIC, child care assistance, housing assistance, utilities assistance, and financial aid.

Resources

Summer Supports Integrated Care Rounds (April 2023)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

The NC InCK team and our guests discussed summer activities for children, summer meals, and Medicaid renewal during the April 2023 Summer Supports Integrated Care Rounds event.

Click this link for the April 2023 Summer Supports Integrated Care Rounds slide deck.

Key Takeaways

  • Summertime can lead to numerous negative outcomes for children experiencing poverty, including academic loss, increased food insecurity, and unhealthy behavior. 
  • High-quality summer enrichment programs can improve academic, mental health, and physical health for children. 
  • This training includes camps and public programs offered through libraries, county parks and recreation, and cooperative extension offices in each of NC InCK’s five counties as well as guidance on how to learn about summer meal sites in a family’s area. 

Resources

Additional Online Camp Finder Tools:

  1. NC Site Finder-Summer Meals for Children
  2. NC Summer Camp Directory for Children with Special Needs 

For information on some Utility and Financial Assistance Programs through NCDHHS: 

  1. Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP)
  2. Crisis Intervention Program (CIP)
  3. Emergency Assistance (Short-Term Financial Assistance for Families in Crisis)/TANF
  4. Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) 

Enhanced ePASS Account Tips 

Food Guide

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

This guide serves as a roadmap for improving food security among Medicaid-insured children enrolled in the NC Integrated Care for Kids (NC InCK) Model. The guide begins with an introduction to food insecurity in the U.S., highlights the Family Navigator role, and outlines existing support resources in each of the five NC InCK counties.