women, infants & children (WIC)

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a supplemental food program partially funded by Illinois Department of Human Services that operates as an adjunct to health care for low income pregnant women, postpartum women up to six months after delivery, breastfeeding women up to 12 months after delivery, infants up to one year of age, and/or children up to their fifth birthday from low-income families who are determined to be at nutritional risk.  It is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture

WIC serves as an adjunct to health care to prevent occurrence of nutrition and health problems and to improve the nutritional and health status of participants by providing supplemental foods, nutrition education, and referrals to health care and social service providers and systems. Food supplementation and nutrition education components are combined with health care supervision and access to social services.

The benefits of the WIC Program include:  Food packages or Food Instruments (vouchers, coupons) distributed to participants are designed to provide specific nutrients known to be lacking in the diets of the target population.  In Illinois, distribution is through retail purchase.  Nutrition Education includes: risk factor specific nutrition education as well as breastfeeding education and promotion.  Adjunct to health care the increased and regular use of health care services is expected as an indirect benefit to women, infants and children enrolled in the WIC Program. 

The objectives of the WIC Program are:  To provide participants nutritious foods as a supplement to a normal diet.  To increase participants knowledge and positive attitudes toward nutrition foods.  To encourage early and frequent use of prenatal care.  To foster routine use of well child care for infants and children, including the recommended schedule of immunizations.  To permanently improve the eating behavior of all participants.