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Providing for Your Family? WIC Can Help!

Providing for Your Family? WIC Can Help!

Are you struggling to put food on the table to feed your family? WIC may be able to help! WIC stands for Women, Infants, and Children and is a nutritional food program that helps participants eat well and stay healthy.  It’s not just for women, however!  Adoptive parents, fathers, grandparents, other family members, foster parents and some non-traditional custodial situations may also be eligible to receive WIC benefits for infants in their care.

FACTS:

  • Each month in Michigan, 200,000 moms, babies, and children under the age of five receive nutritious foods from the Michigan WIC Program. WIC foods are worth $30 to $112 or more per month for each participant.
  • One out of every two babies born in Michigan receives WIC benefits.
  • WIC has reduced the percent of low birth weight babies born to women enrolled in WIC from 8.2% to 7.8%
  • Breastfeeding initiation rates increased from 48.9% to 54% and the six-month duration rate from 13.6% to 18.0%.
  • Children served by WIC have lower anemia rates, improved dietary access, higher immunization rates and are more likely to have routine medical care.
  • WIC impacts cognitive development in children. In fact, studies show that children served by WIC have improved vocabulary skills and improved memory.
  • For every dollar spent on WIC, over $3.50 is saved in subsequent health care costs.
  •  WIC is a wise investment, generating important improvements in the health and productivity of children.
  •  In addition to direct cost savings, WIC services provide essential coordination with other health department services.
  •  Local communities are supported with more than $120 million yearly when WIC foods are purchased at grocery stores and pharmacies.

Eligibility:

  • Pregnant women
  • New moms
  • Breastfeeding women
  • Mom’s who recently miscarried
  • Infants 0-12 months
  • Children up to age 5
  • Adoptive parents, fathers, grandparents, other family members, foster parents, and some non-traditional custodial situations with infants/children in your care
  • Must live in Michigan
  • Must meet income guidelines

If you are enrolled in Medicaid and/or SNAP, you automatically qualify for WIC.

Find out if you are eligible for WIC here.  Already a WIC client? Click here.

 

Quick Links

DHD#10 WIC
State of Michigan- WIC Website
National WIC Association 
Tips for Healthy Eating