EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WIC
The special supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) provides nutrition and breastfeeding education to pregnant women, breastfeeding women and children under the age of five who qualify.
Individuals and families who live in Washington and Greene counties can access WIC benefits through Blueprints. The agency, formerly known as Community Action Southwest, enables families and individuals to attain the skills, knowledge, motivation and opportunities to become self-sufficient. Their four pillars of service: mind, home, health and wallet, feature programs that lift people out of poverty, addiction or other circumstances.
WIC falls under the agency’s health pillar. Chandra Dyne, the WIC Director for Blueprints, said the agency offers education, nutrition assessment and intervention to improve the health and pregnancy outcomes of their participants.
“WIC benefits families and communities by providing additional support month-to-month with groceries and provides nutrition and breastfeeding education to help families live healthy lives,” Dyne said.
Last year, the Blueprints’ WIC served roughly 4,813 individuals. WIC provides food benefits for healthy foods rich in protein; iron; calcium and vitamins C and D including milk, yogurt, cheese, fruit, vegetables, whole grains, eggs, peanut butter, beans, infant foods and formula. The program also provides farmer’s market vouchers for locally grown fruits and vegetables during the summer months to eligible participants.
“When we meet with our participants, we discuss their health and nutrition and ways they can incorporate heathy foods to meet their goals,” Dyne said. “We work with each family to set SMART goals, and help those goals be achieved by their next appointment.”
“If you have a picky eater, we can offer support and education to resolve those behaviors,” Dyne said.
Additionally, Blueprints’ WIC provides breastfeeding support and counseling for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and breast pumps to women who need them. Food benefits for formula are available for babies who are not breast fed.
Dyne said there are six health professionals on staff, including Registered Dieticians, Registered Nurses and Certified Lactation Counselors. Blueprints’ WIC also has two Breastfeeding Peer Counselors to support families on their breastfeeding journey.
“Our staff are well trained and have an education in the nutrition field.” Dyne said.
While WIC focuses on pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women and children under the age of five, Blueprints offers 35 programs free of charge to those that qualify. Dyne said her staff work to identify other limitations families and individuals may experience in effort to remove barriers they may be facing.
“We work with families to see what other needs they may have and work to connect them to other Blueprints’ programs or community resources to help the whole family,” Dyne said.
To learn more about WIC and to check your eligibility, visit pawic.com.
To learn more about Blueprints and the services they offer, visit myblueprints.org. For more information about Blueprints’ WIC program, call 724-225-9550 ext. 440.
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