About WIC Program:

What is WIC?

WIC is a program that provides supplemental foods for the low-income breastfeeding or expectant women, and your preschool children (not older than 5 years). You can reserve your application for this program in any of the state agencies countrywide and have access to supplemental foods, and nutrition education. If you do qualify to be a participant of this program, the United States government will issue you with monthly checks or vouchers to purchase supplemental foods.

WIC qualification requirements

The only way to be a participant of the WIC program is for you to meet the requirements that are set by the State agencies which handle the administration of the services provided by the program. One of these requirements is for you to be a current resident of the state to which you are applying for the program. For example, if you live in the state of Ohio, you cannot enroll for the program in the state of Pennsylvania.

Another of the requirements expects you to be a low-income applicant. The state agencies make their estimations on the basis of the United States Poverty Income Guidelines. The last requirement requires your health to be assessed by a health professional to determine whether you are at a health or nutritional risk. Pregnancy complications are examples of health risks while a poor diet cycle is an example of a nutritional risk.

Services that are offered by the WIC program

If the State agencies consider you to be qualified, here are some of the services that you can have access to:

• Education about nutrition:- The WIC program will provide you with the free nutrition education and health classes. These classes are extremely important because they will help you understand the health improvement and prevention strategies that might be specific to your nutritional needs.
• Support for breastfeeding participants:- If you are an actively breastfeeding mom, WIC will provide you with support materials and guidance. The educators will help you understand the best techniques for breastfeeding and the benefits accompanied with these techniques.
• Access to social services such as health care:- WIC will assist and guide you on how to better access crucial social services such as health care, immunization, prenatal programs, child clinics, and alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs.
-Until six months after the birth of the baby.
• Provision of supplemental food: - WIC will issue you with monthly vouchers and checks to cater for the purchase of supplemental foods. These foods are meant to supplement you with specific nutritional benefits. The WIC eligible foods include milk, eggs, fruits rich in vitamin C, adult cereals fortified with iron, infant cereal, canned and dried peas/beans, baby foods, peanut butter, vegetables, cheese, soy-based beverages, canned fish, tofu, among others.

You can access the services of WIC from the public housing sites, schools, hospitals, community centers, mobile clinics, the migrant health camps, and from the county health departments. To be an applicant of this program, you will have to contact your state agency to reserve an appointment.

The program does all it can to help the low-income women, infants and children. However, some of the responsibility rests with you as a participant of the program. Some of these responsibilities are:

• Making use of the checks and vouchers within the specified dates.
• Using the granted checks to buy the listed WIC supplemental foods and in the right amounts.
• Being polite while dealing with the WIC staff and fellow participants.
• Using the checks and vouchers only at WIC authorized firms and stores.
• Providing accurate information while making applications to the WIC program.

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