WIC turns 50! The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program established in 1974 and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and has become an important initiative for mothers and their children.
The WIC program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) provides health and social services’ referrals, vital nutrition education, breastfeeding support and healthy foods to improve families’ health outcomes, said a DOH spokesperson.
The first WIC voucher in Pennsylvania was issued in Allegheny County on May 28, 1974.
Earlier in May of 2024, Governor Josh Shapiro issued a proclamation declaring May 2024 as Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Month.
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Month – 2024
Pennsylvanians are eligible for WIC if they are: women who are pregnant or had a baby in the past six months (or 12 months if breastfeeding); infants and children under age five years; or fathers, grandparents and foster parents who are the legal guardian of a child under age five, may apply for WIC on their behalf.
The WIC program, according to the DOH, continues to grow in Pennsylvania with the recent addition of five WIC mobile units currently in operation and up to five more units expected to be in operation by Sept. 30, 2024. Each mobile unit is customized to operate as a fully functional WIC satellite clinic that reaches rural and urban areas.
The DOH said other recent innovations include self-checkout options in some stores, the WIC Shopper Guide and moving from hand-written appointment cards to using modern technology for text messaging appointment reminders and messages.
Pennsylvania’s WIC program serves nearly 200,000 women, infants and children under age five each month at more than 230 clinics and 1,235 retail stores currently providing WIC-approved nutritious foods throughout the Commonwealth ,according to the DOH.
Over the decades, studies conducted by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service as well as non-government entities indicated that WIC provides many benefits including: fewer premature births and infant deaths, savings in health care costs, improved infant feeding practices and improved cognitive development, said the DOH.
Find more information about WIC on the Department of Health’s website. To determine eligibility for other state assistance programs, visit www.dhs.pa.gov.
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