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| What is WIC? |
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WIC is a supplemental food and nutrition program for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding or post-partum women or children under the age of five who have a nutritional risk. The program provides nutritious foods, individual and group nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion
and referrals to health and social services. WIC's goal is to decrease the risk of poor birth outcomes and to improve the health of participants during critical times of growth and development. |
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| How Does WIC Help Families? |
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WIC participants receive:
- Special checks to buy specific, healthy foods, such as milk, juice, eggs, cheese, cereal, dry beans and peas, peanut butter and iron-fortified infant formula
- Quality nutrition education and services
- Breastfeeding promotion and support
- Access to health and social services.
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| WIC Works! |
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Pregnant women who participate in the WIC program have:
- earlier prenatal care
- a healthier diet
- an increase in full term pregnancies
- fewer low birth weight babies
- fewer fetal and infant deaths.
This translates into enormous savings in health care dollars. These prevention efforts saves over $3.50 for every $1.00 spent on WIC. |
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| Benefits For Children Who Participate in WIC: |
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- Improved growth
- Lower rates of anemia
- Increased immunization rates
- Better access to health care
- Improved consumption of key nutrients
- Enhanced cognitive abilities
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Copyright 1997-2002 Public Health
Department, Santa Barbara County. All Rights Reserved.
Page last updated
April 16, 2008
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Click HERE
to contact the Nutrition Services Program.
For technical support regarding this site, click HERE. |
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