Massachusetts WIC Program >> Amherst WIC Clinics
Below are WIC Clinics and Programs in Amherst
WIC is a lifeline for millions of families across the country. Specifically geared to pregnant, breastfeeding, and post-partum women and children up to age 5, WIC provides checks to buy nutritious foods like milk, eggs, cheese, cereal, juice, peanut butter, and beans at local authorized grocery stores. In addition, it offers nutrition assessment and counseling, breastfeeding support and referrals to services that help keep families healthy and safe. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has an extraordinary record of preventing children’s health problems and improving their health, growth and development. WIC children enter school ready to learn and show better cognitive performance. Research shows that poor nutrition during early childhood increases the chance of anemia, adds to health care costs, and limits memory development and a child’s ability to learn. Poor nutrition during a baby’s first five years will affect that baby for the rest of its life. During this critical period of a child’s development, WIC provides a safe, nurturing environment for education, healthcare and social service referrals, as well as free access to nutritious foods.