Celebrating WIC!
To the editor:
As a woman of child-bearing age, it fascinates me to know that WIC will soon be celebrating its 40th anniversary. WIC is a non-profit federally funded supplemental nutrition program for pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children. It is funded by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), and is the third largest supplemental food program in America.
In 1968, a group of physicians confronted the government about an increase of illnesses in pregnant women due to lack of food. A program was devised to prescribe food for women who were pregnant to prevent these diseases. At the time, WIC was used as preventive program for disease. Nowadays, WIC has geared itself towards health promotion.
The program was authorized under the Child Nutrition Act in 1972, and was sponsored by Sen. Hubert Humphrey for a two-year pilot program. In October 1975, WIC was established as a permanent government program, enrolling 88,000 participants.
In 1996, the USDA kick started a National Breastfeeding Campaign called Loving Support, Makes Breastfeeding Work after being required to promote breastfeeding in 1989. Breastfeeding promotion is a huge part of WIC providing pregnant and post partum mothers the resources and support to be able to breastfeed their babies for as long as possible.
The WIC program screens for nutrition and health risks of all participants. Using these risks, WIC provides education on breastfeeding guidance and support, developmental milestones, nutrition, target food packages and provides referrals to health and social services. WIC employees that provide the educational information have backgrounds in public health and nutrition fields with some agencies employing registered dietitians and certified lactation consultants.
In the early 2000s, FNS worked with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to realign WIC foods with dietary and infant feeding guidelines under the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). WIC offers seven different food packages providing foods such as milk, eggs, cheese, canned beans/peas, iron-fortified cereals, 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice, infant foods and cereals. In 2009, the food package was extended to include soy beverages, tofu, canned fish, whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
WIC now serves over 9 million participants nationally, and approximately 24,000 in Maine. Future plans for WIC include updating and revising WIC’s food packages, shifting to paperless benefits, and implementing text message and e-mail appointment reminders.
WIC is an important program which helps women and children that need extra help during the important growth period of childhood. I have recently completed my community rotation of my dietetic internship. It makes me proud to know that Maine has services focused on promoting healthy growth and education for childbearing women, infants and children. So, let’s celebrate 40 years with WIC and embrace the nurturing care and educational support WIC provides to all participants and their families.
Kelly Kearns
Presque Isle
