Women Infants and Children Program (WIC)

Service ProviderBreast FeedingBottle FeedingFinancial Assistance
Written By Emily Talley

Information pulled from https://www.apphealth.com/wic-nutrition/ on January 14, 2025

What is WIC?

The Women’s, Infants, and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program is a federally funded program that provides supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk. The purpose of the WIC program is to prevent and improve nutrition-related health problems in its target population.

Who is WIC for?

  • Children up to 5 years of age

  • Infants

  • Pregnant women

  • Breastfeeding women who have had a baby in the last 12 months

  • Women who have had a baby in the last 6 months

What does WIC provide?

  • Healthy foods

  • Health care referrals

  • Breastfeeding support

  • Eating tips for you and your child

WIC provides foods that are good sources of many needed nutrients.

They include:

  • Milk

  • Eggs

  • Dried beans/peas

  • Peanut butter

  • Juice

  • Infant formula

  • Infant cereal

  • Regular cereal

  • Cheese

  • Fruits and vegetables

  • Tuna*

  • Farmer’s market fresh fruits and vegetables (3 yr/old +)

[box style=”note”]for breastfeeding women only. Breastfeeding women get more food and stay on the program longer than non breastfeeding women.[/box]

 

These are all good sources of many needed nutrients. National nutrition studies show that good nutrients are often low in the diets of some women and children. One of WIC’s goals is to help increase these nutrients in the diets of clients, therefore promoting health.

For more information about the WIC program or to schedule an appointment, please call your county health department at:

Alleghany County WIC Program
157 Health Services Road
Sparta, N.C. 28675
Phone: (336) 372-5644

Ashe County WIC Program
413 McConnell St.
Jefferson, N.C. 28694
Phone: (336) 246-2013

Watauga County WIC Program
126 Poplar Grove Connector
Boone, N.C. 28607
Phone: (828) 264-6641

Breastfeeding support services are available in the above counties for participants who have signed up with the WIC program. Please call (828) 964-0171 for information on breastfeeding support services.

Emily Talley
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