The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program is a federally-funded, premier
public health nutrition program designed to improve the health of pregnant, breastfeeding
and postpartum women, infants and children up to age 5. The program offers nutrition
counseling, provision of nutritious foods, breastfeeding promotion and referrals
to other health care providers.
WIC nutrition education and referrals promote healthy habits early when they make
the most powerful difference in the lifelong health of a child. Trained WIC staff
coach families on good nutrition and physical activity, normal growth and development,
and the importance of health screening and care. They promote and support breastfeeding.
They also help connect families to prenatal and preventive health care, and other
needed services. The healthy foods families buy with their WIC checks support nutrition
education messages and make it easier for WIC families to adopt healthy habits.
Nutrition education and counseling
At each visit, WIC staff offers practical and fun ways to use nutrition information
in their daily lives to improve the health of their children. We provide tips and
advice on eating a healthy diet during pregnancy, infant feeding, breastfeeding,
dental health, and much more.
Breastfeeding promotion and support
Helping WIC mothers to breastfeed - and breastfeed longer - is the highest health
priority of the WIC Program. Trained staff and peer counselors help pregnant mothers
plan for breastfeeding and support them through the beginning stages of breastfeeding.
And, WIC is able to loan mothers breast pumps so they can continue breastfeeding
even if they have to return to work or school. Helping mothers to breastfeed is
an important obesity prevention effort. Breastfed children are less likely to suffer
from childhood obesity. Mothers who breastfeed lose their pregnancy weight gain
more quickly.
Supplemental nutritious foods
WIC provides checks for nutrition foods, including milk, soy beverage, juice, whole
grain choices, cereal, cheese, eggs, tofu, canned fish, peanut butter, beans, and
fresh fruits and vegetables. The foods that WIC provides are good sources of important
nutrients that help pregnant women, new mothers, and young children eat well and
stay healthy. Eating many different foods every day will help ensure you get all
the nutrients your body needs.
WIC encourages all women to breastfeed. If a baby is not breastfed, some formula
may be provided by WIC. WIC does not supply enough formula to feed your baby for
one month. You may still have to buy more formula at the end of the month.
Accessing health care and other social services
The WIC clinic can help you find out about other programs and help connect you to
services that may be helpful to you and your family. We have information on:
- Immunizations
- Prenatal care
- Family Planning
- Dental care
- Health care
- Medicaid, Basic Food Program, and TANF
- Substance abuse treatment centers
- Food banks
The Washington WIC program serves 51 percent of all infants born. Over 69 percent
of WIC families are working families. In Washington State, over 14,000 WIC clients
are in the military or are from military families. Qualifications include:
To apply for WIC, you need to follow the following steps:
First Steps – Maternity Support Services are preventive health and education services
to help you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
Oral health services are available, at no cost, to families with at least one WIC
eligible member.
First Steps - Maternity Support Services
Maternity Support Services include an assessment, education and in some cases intervention(s)
and counseling. First Steps services are provided by nurses, nutritionists, and behavioral
health specialists. It is easy to access First Steps at the WIC/FS Clinic. Your First Steps
nurse will provide WIC services when she meets with you. In addition to the WIC/FS nurse,
you may see a nutritionist and behavioral health specialist at the clinic. Pregnant women
with Medicaid coverage can receive Maternity Support Services during pregnancy and through
the end of the second month following the end of the pregnancy. Services can begin any time
during the prenatal, delivery or postpartum period. However, the goal of the program is to
get you into the program as early in your pregnancy as possible.
Sometimes there are family situations that place infants at higher risk of having problems.
Infant Case Management, starts after Maternity Support Services ends (when your baby is
about 3 months old). Infant Case Management can help you learn about and how to use needed
medical, social, educational and other resources in your community so that your baby and family
can thrive. Infant case management may start at any time during your child's first year. It
ends when your baby turns one year old.
Oral Health Services
Tooth decay is the most prevalent and preventable disease of childhood. If you or your baby
have visited a dentist in the last year, you are on the way to good oral health. If you haven’t
visited a dentist in the last year or have not taken your baby for a visit, preventive oral health
services are available at our WIC clinics in Everett and Lynnwood. We want children to have
healthy baby teeth AND healthy grown up teeth too. Healthy teeth begin before a baby is born.
Routine oral health visits are recommended beginning in pregnancy and continuing through infancy
and toddlerhood. For some children, age two is too late for prevention! Don’t wait until the
teeth hurt.
Oral health services by a dental hygienist include assessment, education, self care, preventive
treatments such as paint-on fluoride, help finding a dentist for ongoing care and treatment, and
new toothbrushes and toothpaste for your family. Ask any WIC staff to schedule dental visits for
how many family members you would like to bring.