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Eligibility Requirements- ***Medicaid Automatically Qualifies.

WIC is a cost-effective, governmental health and nutrition program that has demonstrated a positive effect on pregnancy outcomes, child growth and development.  

WIC

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A health program for women, infants and children.

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How Does WIC Work?

• The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federally-funded program that serves low and moderate income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5 who meet nutritional criteria.
• The program provides a combination of nutrition education, supplemental foods, breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to health care.
• WIC foods are selected to meet nutrient needs such as calcium, iron, folic acid, vitamins A&C.
• Participants exchange WIC food coupons at approved retail grocery stores and pharmacies.

What Does WIC Provide?

• Foods for Infants (Birth-12 Months)

The WIC Program strongly encourages and provides support for breastfeeding.  For women who choose not to breastfeed, iron-fortified infant formula is available for the first year of life.  The state contracts with one formula company to provide formula at a reduced price.  Beginning at six months of age, infants may also receive infant cereal and fruit juices.  *Infants with specific medical diagnosis may  receive a special formula. For more information about the baby formula, cereals and fruit juices please click here

• Foods for Women and Children

Pregnant and postpartum women and children (under 5 years of age)    participating in WIC receive food coupons for milk, cheese, eggs, cereal, peanut butter or dried beans or peas, and fruit or vegetable juices.  Woman who exclusively breastfeed their babies may also receive carrots and canned tuna fish.

Special formulas or nutritional supplements are also available to participating women and children who have certain medical conditions.

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• Nutrition Education

           www.msue.msu.edu/fnh/WIC/fresh.htm

WIC Makes A Difference

Benefits to Women and Newborns

• WIC saves health care dollars.  Every WIC dollar spent on a pregnant woman saves over $3.50 in federal, state, local and private health care costs.

• WIC participation significantly increases the number of women receiving adequate prenatal care.

• WIC participation dramatically lowers infant mortality among Medicaid beneficiaries.

• WIC improves the dietary intake of pregnant and postpartum women.  It also improves weight gain in pregnant women.

• WIC participation decreases the incidence of low birth weight and lowers pre-term births.

Benefits to Children

• WIC participation lowers the rate of anemia among children ages 6 months to 5 years.

• WIC significantly improves children's dietary intake of vitamins and nutrients such as iron, vitamin C, vitamin A, thiamine, protein, niacin, and vitamin B6.

• 4-and 5-year-olds who participated in WIC in early childhood have better vocabularies and digit memory scores than comparable children who did not participate in WIC.

• WIC participation leads to higher rates of immunization against childhood diseases.

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For related information visit:  

Community Living, Children and Families

Food, Nutrition and Health Programs visit:

Project Fresh:

http://www.fcs.msue.msu.edu/projectfresh/

Working with Hunger in Michigan Fact Sheet http://www.msue.msu.edu/fnh/hunger/factsheet/fresh.htm

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Shiawassee County Health Department

110 East Mack Street

Corunna, Michigan  48817

(989) 743-2355

1-800-859-4229

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Thursday, April 26, 2007