Alice Lenihan, MPH, RD, LDN, Head
Nutrition Services Branch

Arnette Cowan, MS, RD, LDN, Supervisor
Special Nutrition Programs

Thousands of low income women, infants, and children have achieved dramatic gains in health and nutrition thanks to the WIC Program. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, provides nutrition education, health care referral, and supplemental nutritious foods to children under the age of five, women, and infants. WIC helps parents to properly feed their children during critical early years of growth and development, assuring normal growth, reducing levels of anemia, increasing immunization rates, improving access to regular health care and improving diets.

However, in North Carolina, many children who could benefit from the WIC Program are not participating. Families may not be aware that they could be eligible even if there are two working adults in the household. To be income eligible for the WIC Program a family of four may have an annual household income at or below $31,543, or a weekly gross income at or below $607 (household income, adjusted for family size, must be at or below 185% of the current Federal poverty guidelines). WIC applicants must also be evaluated by a health professional to be at nutritional risk before they can participate in the program.

The purpose of this mailing is to request your help in reaching families with young children to make them aware of the assistance available from the WIC Program. In addition to this memo, you will also receive WIC Program fliers and WIC Program posters titled, "Keep Your Children Healthy and Happy". Please distribute these materials to the child day care homes and centers under your sponsorship. A sample letter is included for your use in introducing these materials to your sponsored homes and centers. You may wish to put the sample letter on your agency letterhead. If you need additional WIC fliers or posters, please contact Michelle Aldrich at (919) 715-1925.

For more information about the WIC Program, please visit the WIC website. To find the location of the WIC Program closest to your center, you may call the NC Family Health Resource Line at 1-800-FOR-BABY (1-800-367-2229) between 7am and 9pm, Monday to Friday. Thank you for sharing this important information with the families that you serve.

Enclosures

cc: Betty Marrow-Taylor, NC Family Health Resource Line
Special Nutrition Program Consultants
Regional Public Health Nutrition Consultants