WIC provides nutrition education, nutrient-rich supplemental food, and health and social service referrals to pregnant mothers, new mothers (breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding), infants and children up to 5 years of age and younger by providing nutrition education, nutrient-rich supplemental food, and health and social service referrals. The U.S. Congress established WIC because research showed that pregnant women, postpartum breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding women, infants, and young children from families with inadequate income were more likely to have poor pregnancy outcomes and mental and physical problems. The research also showed that adequate nutrition and health care could reduce risks to physical and mental health.

The WIC Program has been successful in improving the health of pregnant women, new mothers, infants and children and in reducing health care costs. Various studies indicate that WIC has achieved the following:

• pregnant women have fewer premature and low-birth-weight babies
• pregnant women are more likely to get prenatal care
• reduced rates of iron deficiency anemia
• better cognitive development in WIC children
• improved immunization rates
• higher breast-feeding rates
• decreased infant mortality

Each month our Fresno WIC clinic serves over 30,000 women, infants and children. We serve the largest number of clients in the United States at one site with an annual operating budget of approximately $3,947,000. Participants receive $2,184,000 worth of nutritious foods annually.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides funding and policy to the California Department Health Services to operate the WIC Program in the State of California. State WIC in turn provides funding and policy to county health departments, or private non-profit agencies to provide WIC services for people in individual California counties.

Eligibility:

WIC participants must meet certain financial requirements and be "nutritionally at risk" to qualify for the program. To be eligible for the WIC Program, applicants must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:

• categorical
• residential
• income
• nutritional risk