WIC was established as a permanent program in 1974 to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk. This mission is carried out by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, nutrition education (including breastfeeding promotion and support), and referrals to health and other social services.
Estimates prepared from the American Community Survey (ACS) and the decennial Census and used in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) funding formula to determine states' fair shares of WIC food funds.
The Council is composed of 24 members.
Immunizing children against certain diseases is one important way to help them stay healthy. WIC’s mission is to be a partner with other services that are important to childhood and family well-being, such as immunizations. As an adjunct to services that provide immunizations, the WIC program’s role is to find out about a child’s need for immunizations and share that information with parents, including where to get a child immunized.
WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. WIC provides nutritious foods (primarily through retail grocery stores), nutrition counseling, and referrals to health care and social services.
A national, longitudinal data collection regarding contemporary WIC infant and toddler feeding practices, including the duration of breastfeeding, the age and pattern of introduction of foods other than breast milk or formula, and the age of introduction of cow’s milk.
This report responds to a Congressional mandate for FNS to establish a long-range plan for the development and implementation of state agency Management Information Systems in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.
Recently, the method used to calculate the number of individuals eligible for the WIC program was evaluated and an improved methodology was developed.
This report (1) identifies the number and nature of recent studies that have examined the effectiveness of three WIC services—nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, and referral services—and (2) summarizes what the research shows about the effectiveness of these specific nutrition services.
This report responds to a Congressional mandate for the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to establish a long-range plan for the development and implementation of state agency Information Systems (IS) in the WIC program. In the development of this plan, FNS reviewed state agency system capabilities and consulted with the National WIC Association as well as systems experts. The WIC 5-Year Technology Plan included in this Report to Congress outlines the Agency’s goals, objectives, and strategies to address the current and future needs of WIC systems.