What WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) is All About

There are many pregnant women all over America, but unfortunately, many of these women cannot afford to eat nutritious foods or keep special diets which are important for their health, as well as their unborn baby’s health. This is also true for mothers who have just had a baby or have very young children to feed. This is why the US government started a program called “The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.”

The WIC Program, as it is generally referred to, helps pregnant women and children below the age of 5 whose families do not earn much money or are poor. We provide nutritious foods, supplements (other special types of healthy foods and liquids), educate the women on how to eat healthy, and what to feed their infants and children. The WIC Program also supports these women by helping them to find proper medical assistance at a cheaper cost, as well as other welfare and social services that will make their lives and their children’s lives better.

In America, there are 10,000 clinics and other places that the WIC Program is connected with where you can get assistance or guidance. Some of these places include:

– Hospitals

– Community Centers

– County Health Departments

– Schools

– Migrant Health Centers and Camps

– Mobile Clinics

In 1972, the WIC Program was officially created and since then, has helped millions of pregnant women, postpartum women (those who have just had a baby), infants and children. In fact, the program has saved many lives and improved lives by providing healthy foods and guidance. The program is here to do whatever is possible to understand your situation and help in every way possible.

Since the beginning of the WIC Program, the following benefits were achieved:

– Better birth outcomes (healthier babies at the time of birth)

– Improved cognitive development (better development of the baby’s brain and understanding and speaking skills)

– Less premature births (babies that are born earlier than they are supposed to)

– More births of babies who are healthy in weight (low-weight newborn babies can suffer from many health problems)

– Higher savings in health care costs (much less money spent on medical treatment during pregnancy and after childbirth)

These are just a few of the benefits that have made a very big difference in women and their children’s lives across America.

In order to receive help through the WIC program, a woman must show proof that her income or her family’s income is not high enough to buy nutritional foods or pay for expensive medical assistance during her pregnancy or for her children below 5 years of age. They must also be a permanent resident of the United States of America and be nutritionally at risk. This means a doctor or qualified health professional will do tests to confirm that you require better nutrition to stay healthy during and after pregnancy. Children below 5 years also have to be nutritionally at risk to get assistance from the WIC Program.

For more information about the WIC Program in your area click here.