Three easy numbers to dial for parents struggling to find, buy baby formula

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - President Joe Biden was expected to sign a bill the Senate approved that gives low-income families, who are struggling to find baby formula, more options. In Knoxville, that process was already happening with just one call.

The city’s 211 call center was keeping a close watch on supply in the area as they generally answered calls from parents running low on cash to buy formula. Director Russ Jensen told WVLT News representatives connect parents to groups like Knoxville’s United Way, La Leche League, Helping Mamas or the Knox County Health Department’s local WIC Program.

“We simply refer people to them. Now, if they’re running out of supply a lot of times the agencies will tell us hey, we can’t take those calls, thankfully we haven’t gotten any of those notifications,” Jensen said.

Jensen also said the department spoke with the Food Policy Council earlier this week and learned Knoxville was doing okay during this nation wide shortage.

A spokesperson with the Knox County’s Health Department didn’t say whether the agency was connecting other families to formula, but said WIC parents are “at the mercy of the supply chain and manufacturers just like many other families in need of formula.”

Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was allowing some manufacturers to ship out certain formulas immediately without stamp of approval.

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