State Legislators Visit CFC’s WIC Program
During an informational breakfast on April 8 in Attleboro, a group of state lawmakers gained a greater understanding of the valuable community contributions made by the CFC Taunton-Attleboro WIC Program. Citizens for Citizens, Inc. administers the WIC Program, which provides helps to improve the health of infants and pregnant women in twelve local communities.
The WIC Program (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) is funded and administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in partnership with state and local agencies. Research shows that poor nutrition during a child’s first five years will affect that child school performance and future health. The WIC Program’s mission is to protect the health of low to moderate income women, infants and preschool children by providing healthy foods to supplement diets, information concerning healthful eating, and referrals to healthcare resources, all at no charge to the program’s clients. Eligibility criteria for participation in the WIC Program is outlined here . Nationwide in 2010, over 9 million women and children benefited from the assistance offered by the WIC Program.
The legislators attending the breakfast received research showing that the WIC Program is a very cost effective way to give nutrition assessments, food education, and breast-feeding education to expectant mothers. The breastfeeding peer counselors provide 24-7 client support. Immunization and anemia screening are done at WIC. Referrals are made to other health and human services.
The checks received by the WIC program participants can only be spent on the healthy foods prescribed by the WIC nutritionists for each individual family. Spending from the WIC Program in 2010 put more than $2.1 million directly into the Taunton-Attleboro local economy.
