WIC

WIC stands for Women, Infants and Children and is a program designed to help pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants and children under 5 with nutrition. There is a daily clinic in Tyler and mobile clinics at other locations in our area once a week too.

To qualify for benefits, you have to live in Texas and have a low income for the number of people in your household. Benefits are given after a financial assessment has been made. There are details on the WIC website and you can phone the WIC hotline to find out if your family is eligible (details on www.dshs.state.tx.us/wic)

They have information in both English and all materials are also available in Spanish.

In my experience, the ladies who run the WIC program are really helpful. It would seem that this is not the easiest of programs to administer but they do it with a smile. We received help when I was pregnant and had a child under five. We were given a health assessment and nutritional advice as well as the food package. This came in the form of a ‘gift card’ which could be redeemed at most local superstores. Specific food types and in some cases, brands, are listed for you to purchase. You receive an information sheet and a video to watch to help you get started and in most supermarkets the products you can choose are labelled ‘WIC’ to help you as you shop.

At one of my WIC appointments the nutritionist identified that my daughter was iron deficient. I guess I wasn’t surprised as she is a terrible eater! But I was glad to have all sorts of ideas, suggestions and recipes to help. She was also given a children’s book on each visit which is I think is great. Any help with encouraging literacy has to be good for kids in East Texas.

We had milk, eggs, cereal, peanut butter, bread, rice, beans, fruit and veg. It was a real help to our family budget. I was also offered breast feeding support and even an electric pump to aid feeding. I have to say I am really impressed that they would spend the time and money to help Moms breastfeed. We all know it is the best start for a baby to have it’s mother’s milk but it is not always an easy choice to make and sustain. Any support is really valuable. It was also good to know that my baby was on target on the growth chart. I continued to receive a food package as I was nursing him and once I began to feed him solids, I was given formula and baby food and cereal on my card each month.

I think it is well worth applying for the WIC program if your income is low. You do need to prove your income twice a year and visit the clinic at least every three months but that is a small price to pay for the assistance you receive. And don’t worry, there is no stigma attached to receiving WIC as there are so many families in East Texas who receive it. It is not just for single parents or those out of work. A lot of families here are living on a single income because Moms bravely chose to stay at home with their children. In this community there are also a large proportion of families who have lots of children or extended family living with them and so are eligible for benefits even though their income is not low. I have always been treated with respect at the Lindale WIC office and have no hesitation in recommending their services to others.