What is WIC?

Mother’s day is coming soon so this is a good time to learn about the WIC program, designed for new Moms and kids under five. WIC stands for Women, Infants and Children. It is a social program designed for low income families and is regulated by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service and is administered by Illinois’s Department of Human Services. It is designed for low income families to provide food and other forms of assistance for Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or who have just had a baby as well as infants and children under five years old.

Current income eligibility guidelines can be found from the UDSA FNS website

While the primary goal of WIC financial assistance for food, there are additional benefits from the program. It offers information about nutrition and health, information and assistance with breastfeeding, and assistance finding health care and other important services in your area.

There are hundreds of WIC locations across Illinois … at least one in every county. Health-E Illinois has worked hard to make sure the most up-to-date locations are available in our database. If you would like more information on Illinois’s WIC program, visit the DHS website or your local health department.

Some Chicago based WIC programs, such as CEDA, Near North Health Service Corporation and the Chicago Department of Public Health offer support groups, counseling, numerous breastfeeding aids and support, and referrals for health, immunization, family case management programs, head start, lead screening and more.

To all the Moms out there … have a Health-E and Happy Mothers Day!

Sam Meyer