The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is an American federal assistance program of the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for healthcare and nutrition of low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and children under the age of five as part of child nutrition programs. Their mission is to be a partner with other services that are key to childhood and family well-being. WIC serves 53% of all infants born in the United States. The basic eligibility requirement is a family income below 185% of the federal poverty level. Most states allow automatic income eligibility, where a person or family participating in certain benefits programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, may automatically meet the income eligibility requirements.
History The WIC Program began as a pilot program through an amendment to section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 and passed on September 26, 1972. The legislation, P.L. 92-433, sponsored by then Senator Hubert Humphrey, (D) of Minnesota, established the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) as a two-year pilot program. Eligibility was limited to children up to age four and excluded non-breastfeeding postpartum women. By the end of 1974, WIC was operating in 45 states. On October 7, 1975, WIC was established as a permanent program (P.L. 94-105). Eligibility was extended to non-breastfeeding women (up to six months postpartum) and children up to five years of age. Eligibility was based on income, life stage, and nutrition risk. In 1978, P.L. 95-627 defined nutrition risk and established income eligibility standards that were linked to the income standards associated with free and reduced price school meals. Another income standard change took place in 1989, when P.L. 101-147 established similar income eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and AFDC participation, thus lowering the WIC income standard and simplifying the application process. WIC began to promote and support breastfeeding women in the late 1980s, and in 1989 Congress mandated $8 million be used specifically for that purpose. Also in 1999, the WIC program standardized nutrition risk criteria for program eligibility and began assigning individual nutrition risk priority levels. In December 2000, the White House issued an executive memorandum authorizing the WIC program to begin screening clients for childhood immunization status. The motivation for this was that WIC had the access to the greatest number of low-income children and thus had the greatest potential for helping immunization rates. They also directed that immunization screening and referral become a standard part of WIC certification. It mentioned that the new WIC minimum immunization screening and referral is only for use in the WIC program. Across WIC programs, it has become standardized as an accurate, efficient and appropriate screening and referral process. WIC state and local agencies must coordinate with the providers of immunization screening. Then, in 2004, the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Initiative was launched in which women with breastfeeding experience became counselors for women learning how to breastfeed. Five years later in 2009, the USDA introduced a new food package with foods consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as well as establish dietary recommendations for young children. In addition, mothers who exclusively breastfeed receive more healthy foods.
Eligibility Applicants to the WIC program must meet eligibility requirements in four areas: (1) categorical, (2) residential, (3) income, and (4) nutrition risk.
The categorical requirement simply means that each participant must fall into one of three major categories: Women: Pregnant (during their pregnancy and up to six weeks after birth or at the end of the pregnancy) Postpartum (up to six months after giving birth or end of pregnancy) Breastfeeding (up to their infant's first birthday) Infants up to their first birthday Children up to their fifth birthday Income To be eligible on the basis of income, applicants' gross income (i.e., before taxes are withheld) must fall at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty line. State income falls between 100 percent and 185 percent of federal poverty guidelines, though most states use the maximum guideline. This is approximately $45,000 annually for a family in the contiguous US since 2016. Residential Must be a resident of the state to which they are applying for assistance. Nutrition risk Must have a nutritional risk assessment by a qualified health professional (physician, nurse, or nutritionist). The Nutritional evaluation is based on height, weight, and growth assessment; hematocrit or hemoglobin levels; general health history; and a diet
Services
General services Once applicants meet the eligibility requirements, they can expect to receive WIC assistance in the following four areas:
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
