Finding Formula

Are you struggling to find formula?

Want to help families that are?

Families throughout Central Texas have been struggling to find formula due to a national shortage caused by supply stream issues and a factory recall. The shortage is disproportionately impacting low income families in Central Texas. This is because low income families tend to have less access to transportation and/or the time off necessary to go from store to store finding formula. Experts predict that this shortage may last to the end of the year.

This is our opportunity to come together to support our most vulnerable families and provide the vital information and resources is vital to keep our babies healthy during this time. The following community partners are collaborating to help fill these gaps. See below for more information.

Get Help

Connect to Resources

Fill out this brief survey to be added to an email list and receive updates on local formula supplies and other opportunities for direct assistance.

Start Survey

Get more information from WIC

The WIC resources page has excellent information on feeding.

You can also find some answers to common questions below.

Learn More

Give Help

Donate or Deliver Formula

Fill out this form or bring unopened and non-expired formula to one of the drop sites listed below.

Formula already in stores should stay on the shelves.

Any Baby Can
​​6207 Sheridan Ave,
Austin, TX 78723
8:30 to 4:30 Monday – Friday

Austin Doula Care
8500 Shoal Creek Blvd
Building 4 #104
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Tuesdays and Thursdays

El Buen Samaritano
7000 Woodhue Dr,
Austin, TX 78745
Mondays 8 AM to noon

Brave Care
5915 La Crosse Ave
Building 2, Unit 140
Austin, TX 78739
7 days a week 10:30am-7:30pm

Get Involved

Help Track Supplies

We are tracking the availability of supplies, especially in East Austin. Please use this form to report on available supplies.

Volunteer
  • Use another available brand that is made for babies of the same age and need. Check the list. (in English only)
  • In Texas, you are allowed to replace your WIC brand with others. Here’s their list in Spanish and English
  • Check smaller stores, which may have more supply on hand.
  • Check local social media sharing groups like Buy Nothing. Find your neighborhood group here.
  • Call your pediatrician to discuss options for your baby.
  • Do not water down the formula. 
  • Do not make homemade formula.
  • Do not use toddler formula for babies under 12 months.
  • Do not use other alternatives without talking to your pediatrician.

Your pediatrician may be able to ask for special permission to get it shipped to your home.

WIC Options 

The Texas WIC program is offering formula options to help families in need. Please note that these options are only available for WIC clients. Individuals or families can register online to enroll in the WIC program. 

  • WIC clients can go to www.TexasWIC.org to find the list of alternative brands available to them if they cannot find their brand at the grocery store. This list is updated daily. They can also contact their local WIC office for assistance. There is a list with our local WIC Clinic’s contact information and addresses here www.austintexas.gov/page/wic-locations
  • WIC participants can join our Facebook group, “ATX Family Care” where we post daily updates and answer general questions from the community.  

 

APH Resources 

  • Mom’s Place Lactation Support Center operates as a clinic and training center where mothers can receive breastfeeding assistance from registered nurses and lactation consultants. Appointments can be made by calling 512-972-6700, and a toll-free breastfeeding hotline can be reached by calling 1-800-514-6667. 
  • Family Connects works to support families after the birth of a newborn. Nurses are available for home visits to measure newborn and maternal health and assess strengths and needs to link the family to community resources. More information is available by calling 512-225-0363 or emailing family.connects@austintexas.gov 
  • Connect ATX: Use Connect ATX to find up-to-date information on local food pantries that may have formula, housing, transportation, childcare, and more. 

 

HHS Fact Sheet 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has created a fact sheet to help families find formula. 

Safety Information 

The current stock of Similac products on the shelf are safe, as these were all manufactured after the recall at a different manufacturing plant not affected by the recall. 

If someone has purchased powdered baby or toddler formula with the brand names Similac, Alimentum, or EleCare, they should first check to see if their formula was affected at https://www.similacrecall.com/us/en/product-lookup.html. Then, look at the bottom of the can or container and find the lot number and enter it into the website. If recalled, do not use it, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to get a replacement. Abbott can be contacted at 1-800-986-8540. 

Parents can contact their baby’s health care provider if their baby recently drank one of the recalled products and are experiencing fever, not eating well, excessive crying, low energy, or other symptoms. 

If a formula was not included in the recall, families could still use it.  

Because babies need a specific balance of nutrients, WIC and the American Academy of Pediatrics do not recommend making baby formula at home, and it is not safe to use cows’ milk or overly dilute formula.

  • Organizations that work to support new parents experiencing financial difficulties have reported that their clients are suffering disproportionately from the formula shortage.
  • We want to understand where the systemic gaps are, and how to fill them while prioritizing our most vulnerable families

Several organizers and city departments have been on calls together over the last two weeks, including WIC.

So far, official partners include: Community Resilience Trust, Maternal Health Equity Collaborative, Giving Austin Labor Support, Austin Doula Care, Any Baby Can, El Buen Samaritano, Austin Area Urban League, Gladiator Consulting, and the City of Austin (including Chief Resilience Officer, Austin Public Health, and Sustainability and Equity Offices)

  • Organizing information and links to resources. (See below for a categorized overview of the situation, and soon, you will be able to go to the CRT collaborative action page. (Will link here when live.)
  • You can use the following link to go to the ACTION PLAN (live updated) and read more.
  • The following initiatives are in progress and our goal is to publicly launch them early next week:
    • Rapid Needs Assessment (to determine local scope of urgent need)
    • Informational Flier with critical info, resources and ways to help.
    • Crowd-Sourced Supply Mapping Initiative
    • Crowd-Sourced Supply Donations & Redistribution
    • Cash Donation Drive (pending bulk supply availability)
    • Community Briefing for Decision Makers
  • The following initiatives are being developed and will be launched as soon as possible or when appropriate.
    • Transportation support (deliveries) 
    • Pop-Up Strike Team Style Formula Giveaways (Pending availability of bulk orders or enough donations)
  • Go to this link to learn more about CRT’s strategic approach.
  • In February, the FDA shut down Abbott Nutrition for safety reasons due to possible exposure to a rare bacteria. Four US Companies control 90% of supply, which means one going offline is a problem.  (May 16 NPR Interview with FDA Commissioner)
  • Hoarding is making the problem worse.
  • Price gouging and food desserts widen the gap.
  • As with many supply chain issues, the global supply chain is overloaded, combined with worker shortages and increased shipping demands due to the pandemic 
  •  
  • Low income families are experiencing impacts locally. We will know more about the scope after the rapid assessment is complete.
  • Organizations that support families report that families are making calls for help and dealing with empty shelves, not being able to find alternative brands on the shelf, and struggling with the stress. Organizations are stressed trying to support.
  • WIC has been working in emergency mode since February. WIC has communicated through many channels to clients about the ability to use alternative formulas. 
  • There is little data available. Anecdotally, women are reporting having difficulty finding formula. (May 16 CRT Call)
  • Kim Updegrove in an interview with KXAN shared that while Mother’s Milk Bank normally reserves most of its supply for medically compromised newborns in hospitals, she “received as many as 30 extra calls per week from families with healthy children.” (Doubling the call volume.) There was also a sudden increase in donors.
  • Half of the infant formula purchased in the US is done by low-income WIC recipients.  (May 16 NPR Interview)
  • Historically, WIC has limited mothers to buying certain products. County to county, WIC guidance on brands varies based on local supply. More may be available than is widely known. WIC had previously limited mothers to buying certain brands. The Texas tribune reported that “Although Texas Health and Human Services added 75 alternative standard formula options within the first week after the Abbott recall announcement in February, word has not trickled down to WIC users contacted by The Texas Tribune.” Mothers report that the WIC app is not updated either. 
  • “Most of the parents I spoke with around the country who were feeling the impact of this the hardest were ones that either had limited resources or time, or ones whose babies had allergies or disabilities that severely limited their choices.” – Amanda Morris (New York Times
  • CVS, Walgreens, Target are implementing limits. (NBC MIami. May 10) HEB is also doing this. (Local knowledge)
  • Other stores are likely doing this as well.
  • One grocery rep shared the following about their limitations (interview with CRT):
    • Big stores do have stock, but it’s minimal. Current policies prevent diverting stock (such as to a pop-up) because it’s critical to keep a minimal stock so as not to trigger panic. As supplies change, store participation in pop-ups are a possibility.
    • Big stores have policies that prevent triggers for hoarding/panic. This is a critical part of the dynamics for any strategic initiative.
    • Being public about shipment times leads to long lines and potentially triggers hoarding. 
    • Inventory availability changes by the hour. Attempting to stay on top of inventory at big stores would likely be futile. However, this might be more effective for smaller stores, who are experiencing higher levels of inventory and may have only one shipment per week.

Bridging the transportation gap for customers is vital. (Rides or deliveries). [NOTE–On a call reviewing this with organizers, we all felt deliveries were better than rides, given many families would have to bring babies along, and the risk/liabilities would be potentially prohibitive.]

  • CVS, Target and Walgreens all appear to have low or no stock in East and West Austin.
  • Walmart Norwood appears to have some in stock.
  • We are hearing that smaller stores may have stock.
  • The Biden Administration has begun Operation Fly Formula, which brings shipments of specialized formula from overseas. 
  • WIC has many programs to help families.
  • Families are helping each other.
  • From HHS Guidance:
    • Biden announced a series of actions, including cutting red tape on the types of formula parents can buy, calling on the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to crack down on price gouging and unfair market practices, and increasing the supply of formula through increased imports.
    • Locate your nearest Community Action Agency (CAA) . Your neighborhood CAA may be able to provide you with formula or connect you with local agencies that have formula in stock.
    • United Way’s 2-1-1 : dial 2–1-1 to be connected to a community resource specialist affiliated with United Way who may be able to help you identify food pantries and other charitable sources of local infant formula and baby food.
    • Feeding America : call your local food bank to ask whether they have infant formula and other supplies in stock.
    • Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA): certain HMBANA-accredited milk banks are distributing donated breast milk to mothers in need; please note that some may require a prescription from a medical professional. Find an HMBANA-accredited milk bank
  • Abbott signed a consent decree Monday, May 16. They will focus first on producing specialty formulas. The FDA said this could be a few weeks, but Abbott had a different estimate. (USA Today, 5/16)
  • “From the time Abbott restarts the site, it will take six to eight weeks before product is available on shelves,” the company noted in its statement.
  •  
  • FAMILIES CAN
    • Use another available brand that is made for babies of the same age and need. Check the list. (in English only)
    • In Texas, you are allowed to replace your WIC brand with others. Here’s their list in Spanish and English
    • Check smaller stores, which may have more supply on hand.
    • Check local social media sharing groups like Buy Nothing. Find your neighborhood group here.
    • Call your pediatrician to discuss options for your baby. 
  • KEEPING BABIES SAFE
    • Do not water down the formula. 
    • Do not make homemade formula.
    • Do not use toddler formula for babies under 12 months.
    • Do not use other alternatives without talking to your pediatrician.
  • IF YOU NEED A SPECIAL FORMULA
    • Your pediatrician may be able to ask for special permission to get it shipped to your home.
    • Explore this following expert advice:

Needs Identified on the CRT Call:

  • Low income parents with limited transportation access and/or limited time need to know where accessible supplies are located (if possible) so that they don’t have to spend hours on the road looking.
  • Parents need information about safe alternatives that exist.
  • People interested in donating supplies need to know how/where.
  • People with limited access to digital need to be reached in other ways with basic situationally-relevant information.
  • A rapid assessment is needed (and/or two-way rapid communication to reach people not yet reached) to understand scope of need and provide missing information
  • A physical informational flier is needed to summarize ways to receive, donate and get information.

 

  • The FDA is advising consumers not to use recalled Similac, Alimentum, or EleCare powdered infant formulas. Recalled products can be identified by the 7 to 9 digit code and expiration date on the bottom of the package (see image below). Products are included in the recall if they have all three items below:
    • the first two digits of the code are 22 through 37 and
    • the code on the container contains K8, SH, or Z2, and
    • the expiration date is 4-1-2022 (APR 2022) or later.
    • In addition to products described above, Abbott Nutrition has recalled Similac PM 60/40 with a lot code 27032K80 (can) / 27032K800 (case).
  • Learn more about the recall at similacrecall.com
  • CVS, Walgreens, Target are implementing limits. (NBC MIami. May 10) HEB is also doing this. (Local knowledge)
  • Other stores are likely doing this as well.
  • One grocery rep shared the following about their limitations (interview with CRT):
    • Big stores do have stock, but it’s minimal. Current policies prevent diverting stock (such as to a pop-up) because it’s critical to keep a minimal stock so as not to trigger panic. As supplies change, store participation in pop-ups are a possibility.
    • Big stores have policies that prevent triggers for hoarding/panic. This is a critical part of the dynamics for any strategic initiative.
    • Being public about shipment times leads to long lines and potentially triggers hoarding. 
    • Inventory availability changes by the hour. Attempting to stay on top of inventory at big stores would likely be futile. However, this might be more effective for smaller stores, who are experiencing higher levels of inventory and may have only one shipment per week.

Bridging the transportation gap for customers is vital. (Rides or deliveries). [NOTE–On a call reviewing this with organizers, we all felt deliveries were better than rides, given many families would have to bring babies along, and the risk/liabilities would be potentially prohibitive.]

(including Chief Resilience Officer, Austin Public Health, and Sustainability and Equity Offices)

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