The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is a nutritional program for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, postpartum mothers, infants and children up to the age of five. These are critical times for growth and development, when proper nutrition is especially important in order to prevent health problems. The purpose of WIC is to provide supplemental foods high in protein, vitamins, and minerals (particularly vitamin C and iron to prevent anemia); which will help increase birth weight of infants and to permit maximum mental and physical development. These foods have been carefully selected and are individually prescribed to meet the participant’s nutrition needs. WIC also refers participants to health and social service programs and gives nutrition education lessons on good eating habits to help the ITC WIC Program build healthy families through good nutrition. ITC WIC nutrition education goals are to assist the participant who is at nutritional risk to achieve a positive change in food eating habits resulting in an improved health status and to prevent nutrition related problems. Infants whose mothers participate in WIC weigh more when they are born and have fewer health problems than infants whose mothers did not participate. Children who participate in WIC are less likely to have anemia than children who don’t participate. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds WIC, which is run by the Inter-Tribal Council of Oklahoma. The ITC WIC Program is administered at the local clinic level by ITC WIC paraprofessionals located at the Inter-Tribal Council, Inc. Eligibility for the ITC WIC Program is based on income and nutritional risk. Applicants for the program must meet income criteria, set by the USDA, and/or be determined a nutritional risk by a health care professional. Risk criteria include anemia, poor growth, medical conditions related to nutrition, low birth weight, and inadequate dietary intake. WIC is different from food stamps because participants can only buy the types and quantities of foods shown on their food instrument benefit or their cash value benefit. They can’t buy things like soda pop, candy or potato chips. Also, WIC participants can only use their food instrument benefits or their cash value benefit at stores that have a signed Vendor Agreement with the ITC WIC Program. The vendor and cashiers who sell the ITC WIC authorized foods are essential because they help to improve the nutritional status of a member of their community.
