2007 Year in Review
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WIC Guidelines for July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008 |
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Holding her baby boy, Sandra Carroll rocked him to sleep as she talked about where he would get his next meal. No longer breastfeeding little Donovan Corona, six months, Carroll was not worried about getting formula. Little Donovan will get the formula he needs, as he is registered with Whiteside County Health Department’s WIC program. The salary she receives as a part-time stylist in Sterling is not enough to pay for nine-cans of powdered formula per month, at a cost ranging from $12 to $18 per can, she said. “I couldn’t afford it. As a single-mom, I do need help and I do get help through WIC,” said Carroll, 33, of Rock Falls. “WIC is for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, infants and children up to the age of five,” said Sue Khuntangta, a nutritionist at Whiteside County Health Department. The Women’s, Infants and Children’s (WIC) program of the United States Department of Agriculture Food & Nutrition Service, can provide families with formula, milk and certain food items that benefit the growth of young children. “WIC is a supplemental food nutrition education program that provides formula for infants and other food for pregnant moms and children, Khuntangta said. The program provides vouchers for foods that include milk, cheese, eggs, juice, cereal, peanut butter or beans, and infant formula for moms who are not breast feeding, she said. Baby juice and baby cereal are also provided WIC items.” Martha Ramirez, 28 of Sterling who works as a part-time on-call receptionist at the Whiteside County Community Health Clinic Dental Clinic, is married with two children, Isaac, 1, and Juan, 6. Ramirez receives WIC benefits, and said WIC supplements the income she receives and what her husband, Juan, 30, receives as a factory worker in Rochelle. Ramirez states that WIC has helped her provide infant formula for her children. Carroll states she uses WIC as a supplement to help offset other children’s costs. She also receives food through the Illinois LINK card, and has a state of Illinois Medical Card for herself and her sons. “Even if you or your family members are working, sometimes it’s hard for families to make ends meet,” Khuntangta said. There are some requirements women must meet to qualify for WIC, Khuntangta said. “WIC looks at the total gross household income,” she said. For example, a household of two, which can be a mom and her child or a pregnant mother, which WIC counts as two, need to have an annual income less than $24,420 to qualify for WIC (the cost figures will change July 1). Families also must reside in the county where they are registering for WIC. WIC provides nutrition education for parents during quarterly meetings with WIC assessors, she said. “Not only do you receive coupons to get cereal, eggs and milk, but also support from the staff. They are there if you have questions. They are willing to work with you,” Ramirez said. Recipes are provided to help moms get their children to eat more nutritious foods, such as homemade macaroni and cheese with vegetables added in, Ramirez said. Instead of serving a caramel apple, Ramirez said she gives her sons apple slices partially covered in peanut butter. “We want them to be happy to have a child that grows properly, fights off diseases, and a lot of that is with good nutrition,” Khuntangta said. For more than 25 years, WIC has been helping mothers properly feed their babies and children during critical periods of growth and development. The winning combination of nutrition education and nutritious foods helps to strengthen families long after their WIC eligibility has ended. To learn more about WIC or to make an appointment, call Whiteside County Health Department at (815) 626-2230. On the Internet, see the Whiteside County Health Department. WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines
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