When congressional appropriators recently announced an increase of more than $1 billion for WIC, my thoughts turned immediately to the millions of current participants who can finally have peace of mind and the hardworking staff in WIC offices nationwide who won’t have to worry about closing their doors. If passed, this victory will be for them.

But I also found myself thinking about Dr. David Paige, a pioneer whose pilot programs in the late 1960s and early 1970s providing pregnant women with “prescriptions” for healthy food paved the way for the WIC we know today; Betty Hopkins, a nurse who opened the first-ever WIC clinic in Pineville, Kentucky fifty years ago; and Brenda Mason, who also helped run the original Pineville clinic but sadly passed away a few months ago.

As head of the National WIC Association (NWA), I know firsthand that those of us fighting for WIC today stand on the shoulders of those heroes — and that this fight must continue. The massive budget shortfall WIC just faced must not happen again; there are millions of women, babies, and young children nationwide eligible for WIC who are not yet connected to the program. Inspired by the past and clear-eyed about the successes and challenges of the present, we must all redouble our efforts to ensure a bright future for WIC’s next fifty years.

The significance of this funding increase cannot be overstated. Without it, as many as two million women, babies, and young children could have been turned away from the program. That would have been disastrous. Instead, all participating families will receive the critical health and nutrition support they need. And the 12,000 public health nutrition service provider agencies NWA serves can welcome everyone eligible to join instead of turning people away.

While we are relieved to have averted a crisis, we cannot forget how close Congress came to creating one. For decades, no matter which party controlled Congress or the White House, it was never a question of whether lawmakers would provide WIC with enough resources to assist anyone eligible to participate. But now it is very much an open question. It took Congress nearly half the fiscal year to finally increase WIC’s funding to meet current and anticipated demand. Some appropriations bills would have slashed WIC funding considerably. The return of waitlists, which WIC agencies have successfully avoided for a generation, was a real possibility.

It is incumbent on Congress and the Administration to re-establish the bipartisan support for WIC, which has long been a hallmark of the program. In many respects, WIC — which serves about half of all babies born in the U.S. — is thriving today. Nearly seven million women and young children participate. The food package has never been healthier. Fruit and vegetable benefits have never been higher. Signing up, reloading benefits, and getting connected to health support services has never been easier.

But there is much more that policymakers must do to help WIC reach its full potential:

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Update the food package. By law, the WIC food package must align with the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Updates to WIC nutrition standards implemented in 2009 led to participants making healthier choices and more nutritious options being available in WIC-authorized stores; between 2010 and 2018, moreover, obesity rates among children ages 2 to 4 on WIC declined nationwide. A proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would further update these standards to reflect the latest nutrition science. USDA is expected to release the final rule in April. We urge them to closely adhere to their science-based proposals to update WIC’s food package and honor the independent review conducted by the National Academies of Sciences.

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Modernize the program. Over the past few years, policymakers made WIC more accessible by permitting participants to certify their eligibility remotely rather than in-person, and making it possible to reload benefits online. These flexibilities, which have helped increase child participation rates, are especially helpful for participants balancing job and family responsibilities or who would otherwise have to travel long distances to reach clinics. But under current law, they are temporary. Congress should pass the MODERN WIC Act to make them permanent and help WIC offices upgrade their technology capabilities.

Expand program eligibility. Under current rules, children can stay on WIC through their fifth birthday, while postpartum women can participate for up to a year if they’re breastfeeding (and only six months if they’re not). To maximize the WIC’s impact, these limits should be extended. The WIC Act would provide children with an additional year of eligibility and allow postpartum or breastfeeding women to stay on for two years. In a time of rising hunger, poverty, and maternal mortality, expanding WIC — which lowers the risk of these conditions while improving overall health outcomes — would be enormously beneficial for millions of families.

With WIC funding secured for the remainder of the fiscal year, families on WIC can breathe a sigh of relief — but only for a moment. The past fifty years have taught us that a better future for children and families is earned, not given. Today, we happily celebrate a big victory. Tomorrow, we roll up our sleeves and continue the fight.

Georgia Machell is interim president and CEO of the National WIC Association.