2011 WIC Budget Cuts: How It Can Be Done Without Hurting Americans 121
With the government deep in debt, the topic of cutting WIC has been coming up in Congress. Every time this comes up, people always talk about how much this would hurt America’s low-income women, infants, and children.
I’d like to point out that usually what the government can do with $100, most Americans can do just as well or better with $25. Why does a 10% budget cut to WIC have to cause any WIC clients to go without their vouchers? Why can’t we just use the money wiser to stretch the food dollars? Here are 6 ways to cut back the WIC budget without turning away any clients:
- Replace all juice on the vouchers with Vitamin C supplements. WIC gives juice because it’s high in Vitamin C. But most WIC juice is only high in Vitamin C because it has been supplemented with additional Vitamin C. Let’s cut the expensive, low nutrient, high in sugar juice from the vouchers completely, and give moms and children a cheap bottle of Vitamin C supplements. A glass of water and a Vitamin C pill will have more Vitamin C than the juice, and way less sugar. This is a win, win!
- Stop paying for 4 oz glass jars of baby food. Unsweetened applesauce can be bought in a large jar much cheaper. A whole banana can be bought and mashed up much cheaper. Making baby food is NOT rocket science, and it’s way cheaper than Nestle’s little glass jars of Gerber.
- Pay for LESS jars of baby food. I seriously cannot believe that WIC thought my exclusively breastfed baby should receive 90+ jars of baby food at 6 months old. Thank God I had my head on straight and knew not to try and feed her all that, or she would have surely lost out on much more nutritious breast milk. She would have been way too stuffed to nurse at 6 months old had I given her all the food WIC put on a voucher for her!
- Stop putting quarts of milk on WIC vouchers. The cost per an ounce of milk goes up dramatically when you start buying it in smaller containers. The dairy counsel has their hands way too deep in the WIC program. Round the food vouchers down to the nearest whole gallon of milk and stop putting 1-3 quarts of milk on food packages.
- Remove any name brand cereals from the WIC approved food list if a similar cereal is available in store brand. WIC doesn’t need to approve expensive Cheerios when every single grocery store I’ve seen carries a cheaper store brand of “O’s” that has the exact same nutritional content.
- Share advertising materials. A few states have spent their own money on making WIC commercials. I’m unsure why each state needs to be producing its own commercials when they’re offering the same thing to the same population. Don’t get me wrong. The commercials were great, and if they get moms to breastfeed that saves money for everyone, but we don’t need to pay to make different ones for each state.
Do you have ideas for how WIC could cut costs without cutting how many clients it serves or the amount of nutritional food it gives?
I diagree about the vitamin C supplements. Vitamins need to be absorbed through food to be truly effective. Taking high doses of vitamin C actually lowers how much is absorbed into the body. You need very little vitamin C in a day and is best taken in food. If the governement gave a crap at all, they would provide more money for produce. I thought $10 was bad, it’s horrible you only got $6 and weren’t allowed to pay the difference if you went over. Considering the cost of other far less nutritious foods they cover, it’s just atrocious they won’t provide more produce money.
Cassandra, thanks for your comment!- I believe you are right- vitamin C is going to be much better absorbed when it is naturally occurring in the food you are eating instead of as a supplement. When they give the juice though they are actually giving out the supplement not naturally occurring vit C. More produce money would be the healthiest option. If they don’t want to increase their budget and do still insist on giving out the Vit C supplement though it makes more sense to give the supplement out without the sugary juice.
vit c is WATER soluable and does not need food to be absorbed! Try to educate yourself. However, anyhow why can the child not drink water (yes good wate that our bodies are mostly made up of and need!) with their food and take a supplement Vit C if this is cheaper. Answer, because someone is lazy and rather give their child a sugar drink so the “parent” can do what they want!
But yes of course anything natural is better than something synthetic…….so by some oranges and eat away……and keep your child off the sugar drinks.
hey you are to educated yourself and must not have kids. To lazy to give supplement and would rather give juice ughhh hmmm it takes the same amount of time to give a pill with water and get a glass of juice. And its made of high fructose corn syrup that wic provides and your body is not to be denied of sugar either and thats the best kind. And if you had kids you would know they arent always complient and will refuse things such as pills and by the way liquid vitamin c costs more than what the juice does wic supplys in a month and smarty pants how you giving a baby a pill cause crushed its less effective. you do research before you critize. Im going to college to work with WIC and you clearly are uneducated!!!!
The formula WIC provides does have corn syrup in it but the fruit juice does not have corn syrup in it. I would say corn syrup is something to be avoided though. I didn’t mean to suggest that WIC give children vitamin C pills to swallow or that needed to be crushed up. Vitamin C is made in chewable forms that pretty much taste like a sweettart or a sour gummy bear. I’m pretty sure most children would happily take those and overall those have less sugar than WIC juice. It would also be cheaper in the long run.
They do have chewable vitamins, usually c vitamins are safe since you cannot overdose on c and b vitamins unlike fat soluble or minerals, some melt in mouth.vitaminwater?
Have you ladies ever stopped to think that WIC is a Nutrition Program. WIC teaches pregnant mothers the importance of certain nutrients during their pregnancy. They teach mothers how to breastfeed and when and what to give their infant when they start on solid foods. They do the same for mothers of children under the age of 5 years. Don’t we want the children in our country to grow up healthy and strong. Parents sometimes cannot afford to buy healthy foods so they have to settle for food that may not have the best nutrition to grow a healthy child. Mom’s do the best they can with the budget these days. People who have money can buy the healthiest food for their children. Children who are well nourished have a huge advantage in every way. So should people who don’t have the best income have to sacrifice their childrens health. No wonder the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Health, IQ all has to do with nutrition. Some people with money even employ diaticiations. I suppose there will always be people who are advantaged and people who are disadvantaged. Our county keeps it that way.
I agree the food package needs some changes that could save money and WIC is always making changes to accomplish this.
Please remember WIC is not just a food handout, they teach good nutrition to parents and provide healthier food choices than families could provide otherwise.
GO WIC you have my VOTE!
make the lazy parents go to work and stop relying on the state to feed their kids…I have grandkids and their lazy mom lives with the father of the kids unmarried and she will not work at all. She relies on the WIC program to fee the kids,,she is 23 yrs old no health issues butm sorry lazy and needs to grow up and take responsibility for her own kids and household….the state cannot afford to take care of everyone they must grow up and take responsibility for their own..WIC should be cut out in Georgia
Diane,
Everyone on WIC is not lazy. Those hardworking people who are on WIC often take great offense at people who assume they’re lazy. Check out this blog post. You hurt a lot of feelings of hard working good american citizens when you lump them in with lazy greedy people automatically.
As far as feeling that the WIC program should be cut, I actually tend to agree with you. I think that the needs of low-income women, infants, and children could be better met by private organizations that are funded by people who want to fund them, not by unwilling taxpayers. I also think what the government does with $100 most private charities could accomplish with a much smaller amount of money. I would encourage you to consider voting libertarian in your next election. Libertarians actually have some great ideas about how to responsibly cut out programs like WIC.
While I agree it would be best if the program was cut, I don’t think that means that those who qualify for it shouldn’t take advantage of it. To better understand my reasoning I encourage you to read why I don’t think I should feel guilty for being on WIC. To give you a brief summary, I just ask you this: Was it wrong for people to spend their stimulus checks when the Bush administration sent them out? If you didn’t NEED the money and didn’t think that move was really going to help the economy, was it fair for you to spend it? I didn’t NEED it and thought it was a stupid move for the government to make. But, I still cashed that check and I bet you did too!
Yes maybe the wic program can be cut off a little sooner to families on it, but those who really need it should be able to depend on the gov’t where they live to help support lifes trails. Especially where an infants health is concerned. Cutting things like wic from regular tax payers and thinking its okay is like saying that you think you shouldn’t have to pay medical taxes because it doesnt apply to you at the time.
I am one of those people you demonize Diane. Thanks for the hate, I love you too.
I have to work for that welfare check you hate me getting. I have to work for those foodstamps, then I have to go to the store and deal with people like YOU who poke through my shopping cart and tell me what I should and shouldn’t be buying. Do I do that to you? No! That is RUDE and inconsiderate and if I did that to you, I am sure you’d fire some hateful comment at me…..I should be allowed to buy my kid something as a treat once and a while, and usually my cart is full of fruits, veggies and good things….
I am sick and tired of people like you who sit there on your high and mighty horse and judge me. You don’t KNOW me…..I am willing to bet that you probably consider yourself to be some “Christian” person too don’t you Diane?
What did Jesus do exactly? Oh that’s right….he FED the hungry, HEALED the sick, SHELTERED the homeless, CLOTHED the naked…and most importantly…..he CARED and LOVED. Which is NOT what the GOP/PeeParty Right wing does, they just talk it to win votes while destroying our country bit by bit.
I bet you also don’t know what your tax dollars are paying for. Universal Healthcare for Iraq….but not for American’s who are footing the bill.
Sounds like you are the one who needs to grow up….Not people like me.
For the people on here who are on WIC. Get rid of your internet subscription and buy food. And people dont poke around in my shopping cart because I actually am paying for my stuff. In your case, I am paying for your stuff and I want to know that if I am forced to pay for it, you are buying the right things. If you dont like it you shouldnt have had a child when you couldnt afford one.
@ Dave…You will never look through my shopping cart! Don’t judge others less fortunate than you! It can happen where you become on of those who needs help. I work hard at my job, and my taxes are taken out to help others, as well as myself. Many people work hard to get below or AT poverty level wages, and get government help. Too judgmental it seems to me! I am glad there are programs out there to help those that need it. Many people on government assistance are hardworking individuals or once were with a disability, and your self-appointed assessment of those less fortunate is unjust and inaccurate, to say the least!!
And Dave, with my tax refund I pay my phone bill ahead which is bundled with internet service. I often use internet to look for better job opportunities. It is very cheap for me and my son to have! It is one of the few “luxuries” we have.
And by the way, many people that have college degrees or have college credits cannot find jobs that they went to school for, so these government programs are a big relief. So, do you judge them, also? What about those who worked their whole adult lives, only to be suddenly let go from their jobs? Please know that difficult circumstances can befall anyone, and you are no exception!
My adult children all have jobs. Two of them are in the Army. These Army grandchildren are on WIC, thankfully. The military income only goes so far and the extra food from WIC is a savings for the family to help with the purchase of clothing and shoes. Have any of you priced a can of formula lately. Women should definitely look to breastfeeding alot more, but when you are active duty that is impossible. The store brands for every item should be the selection and the juice should be changed, because now it is full of sugar.
Yeah they like to point out that WIC only offers juice with “no sugar added.” I think what people fail to realize though is anything in the supermarket that has the words “no sugar added” is code for this is so full of sugar we didn’t need to put any extra in!
what a shame that the military pay is so low that dependents qualify for WIC…but it should be available to help any children who need it.
diane,
I agree. We have realtives on the same program and those working under the table to still get benefits for FREE.
I have wrote our Reps. My problem is how has this been the taxpayers problems, we don’t get to claim the kids for tax exemption! Why do we taxpayers keep paying more for the irresponsible with kids….and it seems not to stop with one child. Government, grow some balls and stop paying for this crap….you wonder why we have such a large national debt.
How old are your grand-kids? If your daughter can get a job in Ga. with its economy, who will be watching them?
Government pay child care?? They would be better of staying at home on WIC and eating move veg and fruit.
REALLY?? WIC provides formula baby food cereal milk eggs bread cheese juice how the heck is she feeding her kids for the month on the little bit of food thats provided through WIC. I know alot of working familys that both parents work and WIC benefits them by providing milk cheese eggs bread fruits and veggies which are expensive. Alot of jobs you make a penny to much for help but not enough to survive and WIC helps those families shave the costs of providing healthy things such as milk bread fruits etc. to their children. Also to those saying dont have kids if you cant afford them hello 10 years ago things werent this bad so when people choose to have there kids when they had a good paying job and everything else to take care of there kids who knew the economy would go to crap and people that were doing it on there own would need help ? can u see if the future? didnt think so. Really the goverment employees dont need to make the salary they do for the work they do. The president dont need to make what he does people are to run for president because they want to help make a change be a leader they choose to run for president they werent forced into office so why pay them what they get. Cut there paychecks and let us the working class people that lost are jobs that were great and had to settle for a crappy job to support our family we had before it turned to crap in the economy get a little help without crisizime its not our fault the economy went to crap !!! and if people are being lazy and not working because there lazy then make them look for jobs until they get one or send them to school free of charge like attorneys do pro bonos to get a education to get a job thats out there. jobs are scarce to you know. But also consider some people arent working because there situation dont allow they have health problems making it immpossible to work or i have seen families that a parent had to stay home because they had a special needs child and couldnt get a nurse to come in to care for there child for them to work because nurses are scarce in areas to or the insurance wouldnt cover a nurse to come in how can single parents of special needs kids that require a nurse help? I know of a 12 year old boy went to school got a headache they thought and collapsed and it was a brain anurism that ruptured he is at home on machines needing around the clock care his dad passed away and it just his mom raising him how is she to get a job she couldnt help that situation and your saying people like her are lazy and dont deserve help. what goes around comes around whos to say your life will always be perfect you will suffer no tragedy putting you in the postion of needing help
It’s sad our world is so hateful and that they don’t approve of a government funded program that feeds hungry children. I’m sure people have seen malnourished children in third world countries, and their heart wrenches. We are blessed to live in a country that takes care of the hungry, and now some of you people want to end that. I am sorry people abuse it, just like they do Medicaid and Medicare. Does that mean that all people should suffer? Does that mean our country should have starving children? You may think that’s an exaggeration, but we truly have severly poor throughout our country that RELY on this. God will judge those that abuse the program just like he will judge those who may decide to end the program. God mandates us to feed and clothe the poor, and some of you want to stop that. I am so sorry to hear that is your heart. You don’t want to feed hungry children? Please do not judge and assume you know every situation with whom is on WIC. I personally believe in raising my own child that God has blessed me with. I don’t believe in putting my child in some day care or with a nanny. God gave me my son to love and raise, and I am eternally grateful for every person that makes that possible, including my husband. I cherish every moment I have with him. I love the fact that I will be here to watch him crawl for the first time, to watch him take his first steps, and to hear him say “Mama” for the first time. I love that I spend every day serving my husband inside our home like God has mandated me to do. I love being able to clean my house, cook my husband dinner, and not be too exhausted at the end of the day for sex. I have a wonderful marriage and have a wonderful son. We live on a teacher’s salary. We live frugally with no cable, with junk cars so we don’t have car debt, and live on a $50 wk grocery budget and a $50 month date night budget. Without our grocery budget, I pay for clothes, toiletries, diapers, cleaning products, and any other need that may pop up. We have no “going out to eat” budget. We bought a foreclosed home in order to have less debt. We tithe to our church at least 10 percent and pour our own money into my husband’s students. We have less than fortunate kids from my husband’s class over to our house to have pizza parties and take them for ice cream on their birthdays because they can’t afford it. I mentor his girl students that don’t have moms, and he mentors his boy students that don’t have dads. At Christmas, instead of buying lots of presents for ourselves, we buy Christmas presents for a couple families that can’t afford presents. I assure you we don’t have much, but what extra we do have goes towards helping others. My son is on medicaid, and in his 8 months of life I have only taken him to the doctor twice outside of his well visits because he was actually sick once with an ear infection and the other time RSV. I am still nursing my son at 8 months but am going to have to stop as I have stage 3 endometriosis and have to be put back on birth control with estrogen. In case you don’t know, that dries up your milk. I am not ashamed to be on WIC or that I have a son on Medicaid. I do not feel I abuse it. Even if you are giving it to me with while someone is dragging you to it, I want you to know that I am very grateful for you. You help make it possible for me to spend everys day with my son and not miss a moment and to follow God’s will for me to be a servant to to my husband and others. You make it possible for us to give what little exta we do have to others that need it more than we do. I truly have tears of gratitude right now. Thank you
Im on WIC. I am NOT lazy. I lost my job. I have been looking for another one for 2-1/2yrs. No one will hire me for the few jobs available in my area, because I am “overqualified”
I am glad WIC is available for my youngest child, because I was having a hard time affording formula for him (breastfeeding didnt work out due to medical reasons, and both my kids were unplanned, birth control doesnt always work)
Diane, I’m not sure you realize the amount of people that work really hard to support their families, but still need government assistance. Open your eyes. I work 40 hours a week at a minimum wage job, while going to school and taking care of a 1 year old. With the cost of living going up and the wages for workers staying the same, it’s really hard. But, thank you for considering “everyone” on WIC to be lazy since obviously you know everyone.
I agree about the Gerber jars and the juice. They should have to buy real orange juice, period. No sugary stuff with Vitamin C added. Real juice has antioxidants, minerals and other important nutrients. Gerber jars at six months?
Nutritionists agree that breast milk has all the nutrients a baby needs for the first year and even beyond. The Gerber stuff is counterproductive if the mother is breastfeeding. But I guess a lot of babies are on formula. I still think the formula is better than solid food. Start solid food at a year, and cut amounts in half. Give out vouchers for a blender with the cup attachment. Put in food and blend, take off cup and feed. Easy enough?
First and foremost, it should be noted that what they are doing with WIC will result in next to nothing to fix the deficit. Spending such as this should be at the bottom of the list rather than the top if for no other reason than that reason alone.
Here is an idea. Let’s cut oil subsidies and tax breaks for individuals who make millions of dollars per year before we cut benefits which are intended to feed babies. In other words, let’s put our nation’s least fortunate children ahead of billionaire oil tycoons and other millionaires. I don’t think that is asking a lot.
After we get our priorities straight like that, we can talk about making WIC more efficient.
What really bothers me lately is that there is all this talk about shared sacrifice yet I don’t see anything requiring the nation’s top 2% from having to sacrifice anything that would come even remotely close to impacting their individual quality of life. Where is their sacrifice in the plan to fix the deficit?
Well I’m in the bottom income bracket and I haven’t been asked to sacrifice anything from budget cuts so far. We filed our taxes and got a huge refund close to $4000 and refund really wouldn’t be the right word since I think that came from tax credits instead of refunds. The only taxes we pay right now are sales tax and property taxes. I believe the middle class are getting hit the hardest though. I don’t see why it would hurt to make WIC more efficient now though. I really am not familiar enough with the tax burden or lack their of in the rich to comment on if their taxes are fair or not. The only rich person I know of who is not being asked to carry their far share is Elmo. People are outraged that PBS may be getting funding cuts. . . um hello? Isn’t Elmo rich enough to be paying taxes instead of the government still paying him? Maybe at one time there was a need for government to subsidize shows like Sesame Street but I think Elmo should be a tax payer now!
When we have almost 50% of all children born this year on wic, we are in trouble. Get a job or do not have children. Over 77 billion is the cost for this year. If you want to pay for it, be my guest. I bet you are a far left-thinking person. It is always about using others peoples money. I would bet that I give more in money and time to my country than you do. I want this program to end. It is not my job to work more and harder for you to get anything.
Carolyn,
It shouldn’t be about what political position you come from. It should come from a moral standpoint. I bet you are a far right thinking person who believes she is a good “Christian” woman. Am I right?
So tell me Carolyn. Would Jesus have told his flock that it was okay to kill babies instead of helping them? I don’t think so….and that is exactly what you are advocating since you are saying that you prefer that this program be ended when we already know that the GOP is planning on allocating that money for Military Spending. More bombs being dropped on brown-skinned “Infidels” all in the name of “Security”.
Also Carolyn, if you did your research properly, you’d see that there are millions of families who are on the program who do indeed work for a living and get WIC too.
Also, if you have to boast about what “Good” you do, chances are you aren’t doing enough. Jesus said not to boast of your good works, that the humble will be the ones who are rewarded.
I am far from a religious person, but since the GOP and people like you seem to believe you are the party of “Morals and family values” I am forced to preach to people like you who hijack Christianity to serve your own purpose and ignore 99% of the rest of the Bible.
“Get a job” Yeah sure as soon as the jobs start coming….but with 9% unemployment, I am sure people are finding it a bit difficult.
Shame on you Carolyn for being such a hateful soul. I sure hope that karma never finds you and you suffer for the vitriol you spew.
I agree with everything you posted I wanted to add one more.. Don’t pay for formula.. plain and simple.. IF someone really requires formula they should get a prescription. I know alot of people who don’t breastfeed because WIC makes formula so easily available.
Tanya, that is a horrible idea for one reason. My wife does not produce enough chemicals in her breast milk to sustain a child’s life. We have two children, and she told the doctors that both times, but they wanted her to try anyway. If WIC hadn’t payed for formula past the hospital, our children could have died from starvation before the doctorts appointments or prescriptions came through. WIC was there before the babies were born, doctors appointments usually take at least a week.
Don’t be so dramatic, you child would NOT have died from starvation, emergency rooms and on-call MDs are always available. They would have written a prescription for your formula if they baby truely was unable to get enough milk. 99% of women are capable of sucessfully breast feeding a child so formula on a presciption-only basis would be a great idea and save a lot in medicaid costs down the road with formula-fed related health problems that we see.
I’m not poor. Even when I was “poor,” I was a college kid living better than most of the world’s population.
BUT you suggest savings from cutting out quarts of milk and adding giant unsweetened apple sauce bottles.
HOW would you do that if you’re poor and don’t have a large refrigerator?
SUPPOSE you were in the “working poor,” not middle class. You have a baby, you have a job. How many hotel housekeepers do you think can breastfeed, or store breastmilk, while on their jobs? That’s a middle to upper-middle class opportunity, one for women who get to stay home, or who have the kind of jobs where employers go out of the way to help keep great talent.
WIC offers shelf-stable milk options
VOX- most the milk mom’s get on WIC are full gallons and have to be bought in full gallons. I believe if you don’t have access to a fridge you can get WIC vouchers for milk powder in most states. Most the WIC approved Juice comes in 48oz to 64 oz bottles. If a person can fit a couple gallons of milk and a container of juice in their fridge I would think they could fit a large jar of apple sauce. Very few WIC mothers don’t have access to a full size refrigerator in their homes.
Also although I do believe WIC could do a better job helping more mom’s be able to successfully breastfeed none of these cuts I mentioned had anything to do with telling WIC mom’s they had to breastfeed. I have actually posted an article on here about how some women on WIC don’t breastfeed because like you mentioned the jobs they have to have to support their family make pumping very difficult.
I don’t think any of these ways of cutting back WIC would be too hard to implement or hurt the WIC participants. It would deal a considerable blow to Nestle that makes the little glass jars of baby food and all the Juicy Juice but I don’t think it would hurt the WIC clients at all. Cutting costs doesn’t mean you have to cut services, it means you have to use the money you have wiser.
Here’s where things get out of control.
I am willing to admit to my ignorance.
So I would not say, “Very few WIC mothers don’t have access to a full size refrigerator in their homes.”
Unless I had hard numbers.
You’ve put that out as “fact,” but you don’t know, and I don’t know what the “fridge status” of WIC mothers is.
How much can a woman without a car carry? How far? What stores are in “poor neighborhoods?”
Cutting costs does mean services have to be cut. Cutting 10% of WIC’s budget will lower what WIC can do and provide.
Repubs want to cut $758 million from the budget. In a time when the economic disaster is falling hardest on the poor.
vox,
the wic mothers we know all have cars (mulitiple) and I think this is part of the problem. most work under the table so money is not reported! other are illegals and cars in others names.
what is so wrong about no social security card and picture ID then no need to come in for WIC.
Vox I worked for WIC and did home visits in clients homes. I have NEVER heard of or seen a WIC family that didn’t have access to a refrigerator. I do believe that it does happen but I would say it is safe to say it is a rarity. And nothing I’m proposing has to hurt those mothers- like I said in a previous comment, WIC offers shelf stable milk to families who don’t have refrigeration. I said nothing about cutting that.
You asked, “How much can a woman without a car carry? How far? What stores are in “poor neighborhoods?” I’m not sure what that has to do with this post though. Are you suggesting WIC shouldn’t give moms more food than they can take home via a bus or walking home? I do agree that poor neighborhoods often have much less access to nutritious foods at a reasonable cost but I have no idea what this has to do with this particular post.
You have yet to explain how any of these suggestions I gave would hurt WIC clients. I’m not saying they will solve world hunger but my suggestions aren’t going to cause WIC to cut services, they will cause WIC to save money though which means they can serve MORE mothers, infants, and children.
When I saw the Repubs have targeted WIC for a $758 million cut, I decided to Google and learn more about how WIC works and what effect eliminating that amount of money might have on WIC “clients.”
You mentioned large jars of apple sauce. Why not go all the way and tell poor people to do what my wife and I did for our children, buy fresh apples and pulverize them in our Cuisinart? Cuisinart aside, that’s cheaper than large bottles of apple sauce.
Oh, those large bottles of apple sauce? Even in our uptodate middle class fridge, they grew mold before our baby could eat it all.
In trying to learn more about WIC, I visited the Minnesota WIC site. Aggressively promoting breastfeeding. Clear that only nutritionally approved foods are on the WIC voucher list. That’s part of what I presume the WIC budget buys, paying people to promote healthy practices and to evaluate foods. o
Even if you don’t intend it, your comments support cutting the WIC budget. Even if you don’t mean it, your statements are “evidence” for the political effort to balance the budget on the backs of the poor while those of us in the upper and middle income groups keep our tax breaks that every sensible economist agrees are what broke the bank (that, and the off the books wars in Iraq and Afghanistan).
You suggested replacing juice with vitamin C tablets.
“Here, honey, have a vitamin pill and a glass of water.
You say you have no idea what a woman can carry has to do with WIC food?
Young mother, toddler and baby, bad neighborhood, carry the baby, carry a load of food including large bottles of apple sauce and a gallon of milk, and you say you have no idea what that comment has to do with this post?
I’m not poor. I don’t live in a bad neighborhood. I rarely walk to the store two block away because it is so much more convenient to bring my groceries home in the car. I even tip the bagger who carries them out and puts them in small SUV.
As I squeeze my fresh oranges into tasty, pulpy juice, I reflect on how lucky I am to be able to afford this life. And how lucky I am never to have had to tell my own kids, “Here, honey, take your vitamin C and drink that water.”
Me? I’d rather pay more taxes to balance the budget, have less war to balance the budget, than tell kids they can’t have OJ.
When I was on WIC and lived in the projects, I used my stroller to carry the bags I had when I had to walk my child home after my work assignment for my welfare check was over for the day….I would tie two bags to each side of the stroller and put what I could in the little basket. But I did this EVERYDAY cause it was the only way I could bring home groceries since I had no car and the bus only stopped at the far end of the road I lived on.
Many times it was hard to push that stroller as it was cause of snow and ice….now add on 30 lbs of food too? I think you understand what I am saying?
I want to know what happened to the “work assignements” for welfare. I’ve always suggested to my Reps. of some kind of weekly work credits to receive a pay check. If you pay people to stay home they will do this and if they know they can have another child and keep this going they do this…….the burden only gets more and more on the tax payers while we keep this social finance going. then someone wants to cut social secuirty payments……..cut military retirement money, raise medical…..
Hey what has a politician really done for work.
George, when you talk about “welfare,” you are referring to the cash assistance, correct. Because TANF (the name for what was formerly known as welfare) is only available for up to 2 years to any family, and you have to sign something when you get approved saying that you understand that if you have any more children, you cannot get any extra money.
The only government programs that would give you more benefits for more children are WIC, food stamps, and medicaid. I hardly think that a person can live off of these things. I know that my landlord doesn’t accept checks for formula in lieu of my rent.
This whole welfare queen image needs to die. People need to understand what they are talking about and how these programs work before they start talking about how they need to be fixed.
“You mentioned large jars of apple sauce. Why not go all the way and tell poor people to do what my wife and I did for our children, buy fresh apples and pulverize them in our Cuisinart? Cuisinart aside, that’s cheaper than large bottles of apple sauce”- I agree GREAT idea. I mashed bananas and avacados for my babies and both provided cheaper and more nutritious alternatives. I would think it would make great sense and save money for WIC to give parents baby food grinders and more vouchers for fresh produce instead of the expensive 54cents a piece jars of apple sauce from gerber/Nestle.
“Even if you don’t intend it, your comments support cutting the WIC budget.”- You do understand some of what I am saying. Yes, I do support cutting the WIC budget. I also believe their are responsible ways to cut it so that it doesn’t cut the amount of food benefits clients receive.
“You suggested replacing juice with vitamin C tablets.”- the only reason WIC provides juice is for vitamin C and actually studies show american’s are fighting an obesity epidemic and 100% fruit juice is one of the beverages that is helping contribute to it. I have posted a few articles on here about the quality of juice WIC provides to families and I only suggest a vitamin C tablet over several jugs of juice each month because I believe it would be a healthier and cheaper way to get that vitamin C in WIC participants. Note I didn’t just say cheaper but also healthier. This isn’t a suggestion out of meanness but concern for the health of America.
“You say you have no idea what a woman can carry has to do with WIC food?”- yes I still don’t get why you are bringing this up. Are you suggesting WIC should provide less food so it is more portable? Are you suggesting they provide lighter food (a bottle of Vitamin C weighs less than a few gallons of juice. . . ), are you suggesting WIC should deliver the food to its participants. I do understand getting transportation to a grocery store is difficult for some low income families, I just don’t understand what it has to do with this particular article.
“I’m not poor. I don’t live in a bad neighborhood.”- I’m glad you are not poor, I’m glad you live in a nice neighborhood, and I’m glad you feel blessed by that and are willing to pay more in taxes to help the less fortunate. My family is considered poor, we live just above the poverty line at present and we have lived in bad neighborhoods. I’ve watched what appeared to be drug deals taking place in the parking lot right outside my kitchen window. I am not a hater of the poor and low income in America. I am a low income American. I actually didn’t even pay any federal or state taxes this last year because with the earned income tax credit and deductions from our 3 children the government ended up paying us. The only taxes I paid were property and sales tax this year. That said I still think that the government should try to be a good steward of every federal and state income tax dollar that YOU pay. That said I’m not arguing to cut WIC for my own personal benefit. . . I’m WIC eligible, we’ve been on WIC, we got off it because we get more than enough help right now through food stamps and don’t need to be enrolled in both programs. I think WIC is one of the better run programs. I just think after working in WIC and being a WIC client I see how it can be run using less money without cutting benefits.
I am the poor person that you say you feel lucky not to be. I’m saying I feel bad that you are paying as much in taxes as you are just to have the government waste so much of the money you give them and going further and further into debt. I’m not against you or the poor. I’m against the government not being financially responsible with the money they collect.
You say giving frozen orange juice to children is an economic waste when they could have a vitamin C pill and a glass of water.
I say there’s more to living than necessary chemicals.
You say you pay no taxes, what with EIC and more.
Most working low income Americans pay a higher effective tax rate, what with Social Security, Medicare, various state taxes (sales, etc.) than are paid by those of us with high enough incomes to pay federal income taxes.
About half the population pays no income tax. Old people. Children. Poor, and under/un employed.
That leaves, say, 170 million who do pay. That is $4.45 a year so poor kids can have OJ instead of a vitamin C pill and a glass of water.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. They’re coming for your EIC and other benefits. They’re not coming to make corporate executives pay taxes on their stock options, or to make huge corporations with fancy overseas tax shelters pay their part.
Vox, we’ll have to agree to disagree on some of this. I do agree with you though we need tax reform. I’m actually not against them cutting the IEC either. I am for them making taxes more fair. Seems like a no brainer that GE should have paid SOMETHING in federal taxes but I heard they paid nothing last year. I also think that people who are just above the cut off for EIC are probably some of the people who are hit the hardest. They don’t qualify for benefits from the government which means they have to use more of their earned money to pay for those things and then on top of that the government takes their tax dollars. No doubt about it taxes could be paid more fairly.
I’m not sure what the bigger problem is tax burden needing to be spread out more fairly or the government needing to be more responsible with the money it is given. Both are huge issues.
I’m a nutrition counselor for wic and I think if they lower the income acceptance, would save money. I have come across a number of clients who I know could afford healthy groceries. I have to disagree wit using vitamin c supplements for the reasons the person mentioned previously and the intentions to have the client not only consume and absorb vitamin C, but also other essential vitamins. It would be expensive to include supplement for each vitamin and mineral. Just keep the food sources.
Besides that doesn’t teach healthy food choices. They will learn that they can get their vitamins from a pill….
I was on WIC with three babies, and I know how beneficial the program is. I can see how vitamin supplements could be very beneficial over juice for people on WIC. I would definitely rather give my kids vitamins than sugary juice. Although, I do work at GNC and sell supplements, so I’m very health-minded in that way. My family and friends call me a health nut, so there may be quite a few people who would rather give their kids juice because it’s preferable to them. But I think the ideas for saving money on WIC budget cuts sound great. I also think that any moms who aren’t working should have to breastfeed unless medical reasons disallow. Formula checks for WIC probably account for most of the money they’re using!
One way to save money with the WIC program would
be to eliminate postpartum certifications. This
catagory is NOT a priority.
If WIC funding is getting cut then I believe the best way to deal with this is to stop giving formula. Preaching breast feeding then giving artificial breast milk continues to keep women down. Believing if the so called nutrition education program “WIC” gives it to them it must be good. It gives a mixed message. Almost everyone who works in the WIC program knows and has been extensively trained to educate women about breastfeeding. Then they turn around and give formula. Shame on you. I know the government could save billions if the WIC program didn’t give artificial breast milk.
That sounds ideal. . . I’m not sure how practical that is. I do agree that LESS formula should be given out but it is just not an easy thing to do. I breastfed all 3 of my children all past 1 year. But I didn’t have to work full time at a job where it was inconvenient to pump. I also didn’t have a hospital do many normal policies and procedures that interfere with breastfeeding but are done routinely without letting mother know that those procedures can hinder breastfeeding. Breastfeeding should be natural and easy but in our society it really is not a natural easy choice.
On another note, WIC pays way less for formula than the price listed at the store. The formula companies give the government a huge rebate check to get on the approved formula list. What ends up happening is the formula companies increase the price of formula for non-WIC purchases to make up for selling it at a reduced price to the government for WIC.
Cutting formula would be the absolute worst thing they could do. Yes, breast feeding is the best option and I think every woman should at least attempt it. Many cant for several different reasons. I am one of those women who cant, my body will not produce enough milk not matter what I do. I never planned on giving my baby formula, but I had to, and I couldn’t afford it. Offering formula ensures that babies are getting what they need.
My Sister-in-law had WIC, as the baby got older and consumed more formula than WIC supplied she started diluting it with more water because she couldn’t afford to buy it. Formula to water ratio is 1 scoop for every 2oz of water, she was giving her baby 1 scoop for 4oz. Most people think that the extra water wont hurt the baby, but it does. It cuts back on the calories and nutrients that the baby receives and her child ended up being dangerously malnourished.
That is an extreme example, i know, most people on WIC are smart enough not to do what she did, but some people just dont have any other choice.
I receive WIC for my child and truthfully the only thing on it that I really need is the Formula. I would gladly trade everything else on those checks if i could get more formula instead. As it stands right now, I dont even buy everything that they give me. Between myself and my 2yr old, we do not drink 11 gallons of milk a month. I have enough beans and peanut butter to last an entire year. The bread usually goes uneaten because my son hates bread and I dont eat bread at all. I am grateful to WIC for supplying the food, but if I could, I would trade the things that I dont even buy with the checks for more formula.
Hello all,
I need to explain something to all of you who don’t understand how cutting funding for the WIC program will impact the clients, first off I am a Supervisor for the WIC Program and how WIC operates in each county is by something called a caseload, meaning if we don’t have enough people to see at a particular location we can’t keep a location open to serve those clients, now by cutting funds will cut caseloads which will cut those services that are needed by that community and will ultimately hurt the individuals that need it, so simple enough if you cut WIC by 10% then that means 200000 less people might not get access to the services that they are in need of, by the way 200000 is a rough estimate I know the figure is much much higher. I think if you really want to impact the budget go after food stamps, I have noticed recently a jump in those food dollars, now let’s look at what you get with WIC versus food stamps, first you get free education that would other wise cost an arm and a leg, most states employee RD’s, that means Registered Dietitians and others don’t but they have to have a Bachelor’s Degree or higher in the Nutrition Field or RN’s, so let’s see what you get with food stamps, nothing, no education at all. So let’s talk about the next item, respect, I know for working with WIC for many years we treat our clients with the up most respect now does an entitlement program like food stamps do that, nope it doesn’t require a caseload to stay open so they can treat people anyway they want, I am not saying they treat everyone like crap but I will say they that the caseworkers I have dealt with treat all of their clients like crap, now I know there is a lot more benefits from WIC to food stamps and I am not here trying to bash food stamps but educate on what cuts we should really be going for right now, WIC is a program that helps and promotes education to all that are qualified for it. So let me make it very simple, you cut WIC only hurts the poor and low income, you cut food stamps hurts no one so why not promote the cut of those dollars versus a program that helps Americans in need.
I know that when WIC gets cut they will cut caseloads but my point is that they don’t NEED to. As a supervisor I know you can’t make the kind of changes I’m suggesting but those are changes that could cut costs without hurting clients. I am disappointed that our government doesn’t know how to responsibly cut the budget of programs like WIC. My post is to show that cuts don’t HAVE to hurt the clients.
As far as food stamps being a better program to go after. . . I agree with you. It would be easier to cut the food stamp budget responsibly. The maximum amount of food dollars a family can qualify for is way way beyond what they need to provide healthy meals for one month in the midwest (almost $800 a month for a family of 5 making no income). I wouldn’t say food stamps helps no one though and if they are cut irresponsibly those cuts could hurt those in need as well. I would love to see reform of food stamps that also gives incentive for participants to buy healthy food options (there is a pilot program testing some incentives right now). If food stamps where used to buy more healthy foods healthcare costs for the low income would go down too which would save tax dollars.
As far as your comment of WIC treating people more respectfully. . . I’m not so sure I agree with you there. I think you just may be a good supervisor and have trained your employees well. I have a food stamps case worker right now and she is super polite and never makes me feel embarrassed the slightest that we are on that program. Mostly I have had good experiences in the WIC clinics too although not always. I think the way clients are treated has more to do with your job as supervisor than what program they are working in.
I diagree about everything you say about WIC being a bigger benefit because of education. Even if any of the people at WIC wanted to “educate” me about nutrition, I would immediately and politely decline because the health advice the government is giving is a crock of crap. Just recently Chicago made big news with their outlaw of homemade lunches and what they stated was their healthy alternative was enough to churn my stomach. I get WIC for myself so I can save my pennies to make sure my daughter always has food that is actually healthy. Is WIC a step up from what people would otherwise be eating? Sure. But if I had to choose between the limitations of WIC and the freedom to make my own choices with Food Stamps, I would take Food Stamps in a heartbeat. It’s my own responsibility to educate myself about what is healthy. If other people don’t want to do that, the government shouldn’t be shoving it down their throats as a requirement for getting help.
Cassandra,
Well all I got to say to you is that you are wasting time been on the WIC program, if you did any research on what WIC was designed for it was to educate Americans on Health and Nutrition, I don’t have no need to insult you but to tell you the truth, you don’t understand what we offer and most likely won’t in anyway shape or form. Lynn at least understands some of the benefits and I must commend her for that. I agree with you about not trusting the government but think about it like this, why would they want to mislead you about Nutrition, it makes no sense what you’re saying especially with an obesity epidemic happening in this county. Think about it like this, if we have double to triple the obese people in 20 years and it becomes a strain on the medical system which those people may have to go on SSI or other items because of been obese how would that help the government, it would only be a drain on the system and services so maybe you need to do some research into what the government is telling and to find out if it’s completely wrong or maybe it’s right, now I don’t live in Chicago and I have never heard about them outlawing homemade lunches but let’s think about why they might have before you judge them, what if why they did it because of the items been packed in the lunches, so is it ok for parents to give kids soda, chips and other junk foods for lunch daily instead of healthier options, I would like to think not but your right you can pick and maybe you pick the healthy options but as a whole most Americans don’t so that’s why changes like that happen is because of what’s going to happen to this county with kids that get heavier, it’s called preventive medicine, that is what WIC does and so does your doctor. Now as for Food stamps do they offer any education on healthy choices NO not at all, so that means you can buy what every crap that is peddled to you, so my advice for you is to educate yourself on the system and what is correct or not, I agree to be skeptical of the government but maybe there is a reason why they did something you might just have to search for it.
Well thank you for not only ignoring my points and talking down to me, but also doing it with terrible grammar. You have your head shoved so far in the sand you’re incapable of seeing what’s going on. Lynn also talks a fair bit about greedy companies getting in bed with the government, a la Nestle. Things that are labeled as health foods can be so full of synthetic ingredients that they can’t even really be called foods. The simple fact that WIC explicity denies the purchase of organic products is a testament to how little the government cares about health. That’s the same government that charges farmers out the wazoo to even be labeled organic in the first place while simultaneously paying other farmers to produce chemical-laden, genetically modified food, a la HFCS. The government wants people to drink sugary juice with synthetic vitamin C that the body can’t even assimilate? They want people to eat starchy, high calorie cereals that have been so heavily processed they’re actually toxic? They also want people to drink large amounts of non-fat pasteurized milk that comes from America’s dairy herds where 80% of the cows have an ongoing bacterial infection which not only means they get to be on large doses of antibiotics at all times (which goes in the milk!), but also results in there being blood and pus in it? Don’t forget the fact that they’re fed their own feces, rotten bits of meat from other animals and even plastic hay, the remnants of which go into their milk! This is how the government is promoting health and curbing the “obesity epidemic” that has only gotten worse the more they campaign against it? Maybe you should try pulling your head out of the sand and doing some research yourself.
Like I said, I use WIC as another resource while we currently have an income around $20,000 a year for 3 people. My husband and I eat that garbage so we can save money for our daughter to eat things that are actually healthy for her. Our health will suffer, but I will accept that to make sure she has a healthier future – the kind that is not currently supported by our government.
Tommy I agree the government may not have motive to make American’s unhealthy but Nestle who makes juicy juice and formula and gerber baby food and as Cassandra said is in bed with the government really cares about their bottom dollar more than WIC participants health. I do agree that WIC could come a long way in providing more healthier options if it didn’t let companies like Nestle tell the government what was healthy.
FYI: Husband is going to fix this reply feature so this is easier to read.
Cassandra,
The benefits you are receiving are intended for your daughter and the fact that the family is using them instead is heading towards “fraud” and “abuse”. By providing a tongue lashing to others, you exposed the fact that you are not using the program as intended and maybe it is best if you drop your child from the program and visit the Food Stamp office where they will cover the entire family and not force “garbage” down your throat!
FYI- As owner of this blog I am allowing this comment but I do want to say you are being incredibly judgmental of a women who I know cares very deeply about the health of her child. WIC is intended to help its participants to be healthier. Although I do see your point that WIC intends the cereal for her daughter instead of her husband if she is using the money she saves to feed her daughter something even healthier I would say she is using the WIC program to meet her child’s nutritional needs. To lump that in with fraud and abuse such as a mother selling formula for money is very very rude. If you would like to continue to comment on this blog I expect a little more respect for mother’s who are trying to look out for their children’s best interests. You may disagree but with them but their is no reason to be nasty. And FYI many families who qualify for WIC do not qualify for food stamps.
If WIC would stop pushing “artificial breast milk, formula.” The budget would work. Infants are priority #1. Formula is extremely expensive practice what you preach which is breastfeeding. Stop giving formula. Look at the budget and see the billions our government could save. Nutrition Education? Not. People come to get the free food and tha is it.
How can you expect to force women who can’t afford formula and rely on WIC for it to have to breastfeed when the Majority of this county is incredibly judgement of women who do breastfeed.
“Oh, you breastfeed your baby? Stay in doors and don’t expect to ever go out because you might offend someone else if they see you feeding your baby because breasts are sexual and are only meant for your husband to play with, and you should be ashamed of letting that poor baby do that, you perverted, abusive, mother!”
I realize that statement is overly sarcastic and exaggerated but that is what I ran into very often in the brief time that I tried to breast feed both of my kids. Yes, you are allowed to breast feed in government buildings, but most other locations do not support breast feeding mothers.
I remember when I went out for breakfast at a restaurant and I had to feed my son. I used a nursing cover, no one could see my breasts and they couldn’t see the baby either except for his feet poking out. I was told by the manager that I had to either feed him in a bathroom stall or leave because I was disturbing other restaurant patrons from their meal. I am not going to feed a baby in a nasty restroom, so I left.
Another instance was during my husbands company picnic at an amusement park. There was a woman feeding her child, she was out of the way in an area where not many people were, with her back to the ones that were passing by. A park employee told her she wasn’t allowed to breast feed her child because it was a family park.
For WIC to be able to take formula away, the country needs to adjust their views on breast feeding. Many of my friends didn’t breast feed their babies because of crap like I wrote about above.
Actually it is simple to cut the WIC budget by %10 or more and still supply the same amount of food to even more people.
In California they have WIC only food stores. These are privately owned stores that need to buy all of the required foods and keep enough on hand. The prices we are allowed to charge to the WIC program is governed by the state. The savings would come if participants could only shop at these stores.
A WIC store in California is allowed to charge a maximum of $3.02 for a 16 oz loaf of whole wheat bread yet the union run grocery stores can charge over $4 for the same loaf. THey charge more for a 16oz loaf than for a 20 oz loaf because the government is paying the tab
A gallon of milk at WIC only store is $3.50 but the Albertson’s and Von.s on the same street is $5.65.
This is the same on almost every item on the WIC vouchers.
The only time it isn’t is when the markets have a sale on cereal, then they have to give the same sales price to the WIC participants.
This came about because several years ago the WIC only food stores were getting most of the business and the unions lobbied congress to change the law governing the WIC only food stores. They said the WIC only stores were gouging the government because WIC only stores were charging the identical prices that the big grocery store were. Go figure!
I had heard of WIC only food stores and I had always heard they charged more than the regular grocery stores. This is very interesting to me that they charge less than the regular grocery stores and I assume checking out is always much less stressful than using WIC in a regular grocery store. I don’t think WIC only stores would be practical everywhere but you have opened my mind up about them.
Using WIC coupons in WIC only stores is very convenient and fast. Because a WIC client is their only type of customer they are all treated with respected unlike the checkers and other customers in line at regular stores.
When WIC only stores opened in California their prices by contract had to be on average of grocery stores in the immediate area. After the change in law, the state of California started regulating all of the prices that WIC food could be sold for and to prevent over pricing at these small mom and pop stores, they put their allowable rates very low.
For instance the small store I own in Southern California went from about $50,ooo in gross sales to under $30,000 in one month. We do not have employees any more because of this and my wife and I are the ones that run it.
the Governator tried to reform the WIC program by creating a WIC wholesale program where all WIC products would need to be purchased from the state and the prices would be fixed. Nedless to say the union markets shot this down in an instant!
I have heard about a WIC ONLY store that is somewhat near my MIL. I’m definately interested in checking it out now. I try to do the bulk of my WIC vouchers in one trip, so I don’t have to deal with them again. Last week at Safeway, it seriously took me 45 minutes to check out, because I had other food besides, and the checker was double-checking every single item I bought.
I am a registered dietitian and have been the supervisor of our local WIC office for 17 years. Vouchers for produce just started 2 years ago and are a very welcome change to the WIC package. I agree that we should not give out juice and if I put it on someone’s package we talk about only giving 4-6 ounces a day. WIC is ultimately a nutrition education program and often the most reliable information mothers get about feeding their childeren. The pediatriacians give very little info on feeding and know even less about breastfeeding. WIC is VERY supportive of breastfeeding and I would be overjoyed if I could get every mother to successfully breastfeed their baby. Unfortunately that is very unlikely and for those moms that either can’t or won’t breastfeed then WIC is a God send. I would hate to see our abilty to help low income familes reduced due to these budget cuts. A large majority of our families are working families and simply can’t make ends meet. There will always be people who try to take as much as they can from government programs but they are in the minority. As far as the baby food I do agree that breastfed babies can get way too much….but the health professional does not have to put it on the voucher just because it is available. I can see how people feel a food processor would be more cost effective but it can be time consuming. When a mom is trying to get the baby to the sitters house and get to work taking jars of baby food is much more convienient. I’m actually not sure why baby food was added to the WIC vouchers in 2009. It never was before and could save money if they took them back off. Just a few thoughts…
mindy- thank you so much for coming by and sharing your thoughts! You are one of the people that does help make WIC work for so many families.
All you people go get a freaking job stop having kids you cant affoard
Thanks for such a meaningful contribution to our discussion. . .
Maybe you should go back to freaking school and learn how to spell and use proper English?
As I sit here and read all comments, even the ones with the big debates I wonder what is going to happen next. I do think that WIC is a good program, so are the Food Stamps. I have seen abuse by a lot in both programs. As for myself, I do recieve WIC, only for my son. The only reason we got into the program is 1.) I pay for state medical for my son, because we can afford it, and it was a new program Obama started, and yes we do pay a monthly premium of around $30.00. 2.) My son developed a serious allergy, to dairy milk protein. If his allergy hadn’t been an issue, we wouldn’t have a need to use WIC. WIC pays for his special formula, which is $25 per can, and that’s not the bulk size. I did breastfeed as long as I could produce, some women are not lucky and can’t produce any. The only benefit we recieve from WIC is the checks for formulas, Which is prescribed by his Doctors, and the $6 fresh fruits and vegies. I do work, and my husband is a seasonal worker, I don’t feel lazy or abusive in regards to this issue. These programs were put in place for those who NEED it, and I have a need. We won’t be on this program forever, and hopfully he will out grow his allergy buy age 3 and can enjoy foods that contain milk. buy the way I also would like to state I pay my taxes, in many ways and feel that because I pay into a taxpayer funded program I am recieving some of my money back; in a way.
If WIC did their job helping mom’s to breastfeed we would have no need for artificial breastmilk. If a woman has breasts she can breastfeed. The only reason a mother would not produce breastmilk is because no one helped her to get the baby to the breast in the first hour after birth and no one was their to monitor the feedings when she got home. That is what determines milk supply. Women are made to feel inadequate to feed their own offspring, what a disgrace. Artificial breastmilk companies are right there at the hospital and they even send coupons and free cans of this garbage to homes. They are at every corner sabotaging successful breastfeeding attempts. This country is so dependant on artificial products it’s disgusting.
The only thing I hear people saying about WIC is “free food.” WIC is a nutrition program people. They are suppose to teach nutrition education. The food is to promote more healthy food choices. The food they give needs to be changed. If they preach healthy they should make healthy foods available. They have changed a little but not enough. It is time many of these programs are cut. When talking about WIC it would be nice to hear more about the education families are suppose to be receiving.
It should be up to the individual mother about whether she breastfeeds or not, NOT YOU! There are many working mothers who cannot breastfeed. There are also medical reasons that mom’s can’t breastfeed, or they are on medication and it would harm the infant. Years ago, many moms did not breastfeed so infant’s were fed cow’s milk or goatmilk. Stop passing judgement. No one is qualified to judge another.
@Shell your comment about WIC not doing their job in helping women to breast feed is wrong. WIC’s lactation consultants are wonderful and gave me a ton of help, one of them even went as far to come to house everyday – without being paid to do so!
The comment about if a woman has breasts she can feed her child is not entirely true. I had my son via c-sec, and I had a very hard time producing milk for him in the hospital. I was told that the surgery and the medications were interfering with my supply and to just keep at it. After a week, I still wasn’t making much of anything. He was screaming almost constantly. I worked with WICs lactation consultants, and they really did try to help the best they could. Like I said, one lady even came to my house without getting paid to do so. I had to supplement with formula via feeding tubes so not to mess up with nipple confusion. I tried supplements and almost everything I could find that was supposed to help with milk production, nothing worked. I met with a doctor and this is what I found out: Not all woman can produce enough milk. It’s called lactation failure. There are two types: primary and secondary. Most woman who dont produce enough fall into the secondary category and it can be corrected through all the ways that LLL will tell you: water, nutrition, and feeding the baby more. Primary failure occurs when nothing helps at all and accounts for about 4% of lactation failure cases. Common reasons for this are glandular tissue problems, breast-shape, prior breast surgery or Sheehan’s syndrome. Less common causes of primary lactation failure include high or low blood pressure, anemia and certain medications. Corky Harvey, co-founder of The Pump Station in Los Angeles, believes that many lactation professionals fear that women will stop breastfeeding if it seems too challenging. “Perhaps, in their zealousness, [lactation professionals] want you to understand that you can do this. Maybe they don’t mention the fact that a very small percentage can’t.” I am part of that percentage.
As a long time WIC employee and having knowledge of the dairy industry, just wanted to let Cassandra know that you will not be getting antibiotics in milk from cows in our state. Dairy farmers dump milk from cows undergoing treatment.
WIC is a very helpful program for my daughter who is only 4 months old. There are some people out in this world, like myself, who are not with their kids’ father. Go ahead and judge me all you want, but i have my very logical reasons. Why cut WIC programs down when you can be cutting down something else that is less important. Why should innocent children be in harms way without WIC when the president is out there getting paid more money than he can even think about spending in his life time. I can’t believe people are wanting to cut down WIC, some people out there CAN’T breastfeed. I’m one of them. Formula is a neccessity for my daughter. Jobs are getting harder and harder to find in this world now a days because everyone is hiring people who are bilingual. I’m sorry but my belief is, if you don’t speak english, get out! We’re expected to speak the language that you speak going to your country. Finding jobs is getting ridiculous and without a job i’m pretty sure you can’t raise your child without help!
I see you’ve had a hard time with the influx of immigrants in America. I want to remind you that they just like you are wanting to do what is best for their children. Also, most of us American’s that “belong” here have ancestors that came in and totally disregarded the native American’s space and rights. I’m sorry that immigration has made your life harder but I find your harsh attitude a little unloving. I don’t have a firm political opinion on the best way to deal with the immigration issues that are so prevalent especially in the south- and I do understand immigration issues have caused problems. I do think we need to recognize no matter how we deal with it that these are real people including innocent babies and children.
You might also be assured to know I posted in some of my more recent articles on the budget that these cuts are NOT expected to effect participants ability to get services because the budget cut was just cutting a surplus.
I am German and my hubby is in the military.
First I love WIC it is a small addition to my husband little salary. I have a german job but I am on a 3 year parentleave. I got money from the german state for 2 years a little bit over 400 Euro’s which is no socialwelfare. And because my hubby is in the military I wouldn’t have received anything from the german state when I wouldn’t have kept my job.
When this money stopped we felt it right away. So we applied for WIC and receive it now since January and it is really nice. We don’t have food checks or Foodstamps here in Germany and I like the fact that you already get directed in eating healthier and that you can’t waste it on Alcohol or cigaretts. I think that is awesome.
I nursed my kid for 9 months and I used the german formula afterwards, I just didn’t want the american one, but it worked out fine because of the money I still received.
I think it is a nice support for families with little kids and not to forget the kids always have to be there for the appointments, which means it is also a little bit of a check up on the kids which I think it is good. I would never complain of bringing in my daughter or any information the WIC office needs, I am getting something from the State and it is more than alright to do what you are asked.
Immigrants have right to live too, but I do believe in respecting the culture and learning the language. You wanna live in another country than yours, please speak the language.
I hated it when people came with an interpretor to my office and they lived in Germany for 30 years, that is just not right.
And lets never forget, our kids are the most important thing we have and WIC supports us in giving them the right things.
And like John F. Kennedy said,
Don’t ask what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for country.
Give your country something in return and I don’t mean taxes. The state are the people, so give each other a helping hand, maybe even teach some immigrants some english or help out in the kindergarten from your kid. Or cook together with your friends to save money.
Like someone else said before, who ever lives in the States now had ancestors who immigrated there, from Germany, England, Poland etc.
I falled in love with a Soldier, I didn’t choose too, it happened, and I have to leave my country and I hope that I will only meet good people and not people full of hate because I might take a job later and an american can’t have it because of me. If I get a job, it is because I will be a legal alien, and I am good in what I am doing.
Andrea,
I like how you put things, it’s nice to know that a lot of the same problems we have, you have there. I also agree with your point of view on the language, if I ever travel to another country I am going to make sure I can communicate, and understand their language and not force it the other way around. I also don’t think you need to explain or apologizing for using state funds, your hubby who serves OUR country is enough said, and that you deserve something, since he is giving to the people in servitude. I also hope that when you come here you meet the great people that make American’s great, and not the shitty low lifes that suck our reputation to nothing. You come here legally, just like my ansesters (who some were German) did, and we as Americans welcome you :)
” I also hope that when you come here you meet the great people that make American’s great, and not the shitty low lifes that suck our reputation to nothing. ”
Sure hope you don’t mean poor people….
Oh and because her husband serves its okay but as a woman with low income I am a “shitty low life?”
Man I know now I am making sure my kid is out of this country before he is 18. I never want my kid to have to die or have his legs blown off for people like you.
Well Nicole, if you want to think of yourself as that, don’t let me stop you. Being a shitty low life has nothing to do with your financial standing, it however has everything to do with how you are as a person and how you treat others. You could be a millionare and be a shitty low life.
From all your comments that I have read, you seem like a defensive person. I don’t care about you being poor…how you live your life is up to you. I lived in a 19 foot trailer, 40 miles from the nearest town, no power, no running water, and only enough money for gas to make one trip every couple of days to town. If I can make my life good from that point, anyone can, so don’t play “pitty me” cause I’m low income.
Now with regards to the Military, unless you’re out there fighting and working to keep us safe here in America, you have no room to talk…if you haven’t noticed American’s are pretty much disliked around the world.
Oh and you know for thousands of years when people didn’t like what was going on in their country, they left! What a concept! So if you can’t stand that your son might “blow his legs off” for his fellow citizen, by all means go live somewhere else.
One last thing, not a good idea to put words in other people’s mouths, where in my comment did you get because you are low income that you didn’t deserve any help? or that you are a shitty low life? You assumed…assumed it, also not a good idea.
Talia, I hardly put words in your mouth when I quoted the exact words you used. I mean, scroll up, its right there in your post.
Yes I am a defensive person. I am sick and tired of people willing to spend money on killing and destruction and not to give some babies and pregnant women a half a shopping carts worth of food a month.
I don’t even get WIC and I think that its a horrible idea. I would rather much pay taxes to help out the people who need help than to blow up a bunch of places in the middle east.
Why are we hated so much around the world Talia? Because we are bossy and bullyish. We are trying to force our way of life on other cultures who have been around for centuries before American’s ever were. People in other countries are amazed at the fact that our country doesn’t have healthcare for everyone, that we allow families to become bankrupt and homeless over medical bills. Those people may pay extra in taxes, but if you ask them, they are happy to do it. To have that security to know that if you or someone in your family had a serious injury, accident or illness that they won’t have to “lose the farm” over it.
I know this because I moderate a forum for people who are Pro-Healthcare for all in America and we have supporters from around the world. So yeah I am out there fighting, I just choose to not carry a gun in order to do it. I fight for the better cause too, the health and well-being of American’s….not war. War doesn’t do anything for anyone but those who are invested into it.
nicole,
you are a mess! no I won’t be here to read your response. only a fool would even think Americans are hated for your reasons. we help everyone, but religious beliefs have some too crazy. we are on wic and wic is plenty and probably too much help. one needs to get their LAZY behind to work and stop thinking the govt is there to take care of you!
the world is just like you! people get jealous because someone else has more than you and you do things to try to upset someone else.
cheers
I sincerely hope that you do not think that all recipients of government aid are lazy and think they are entitled to government subsidies! I hope that you aren’t stereotyping those that need help. Alot of people getting help of this sort do work, but do not make enough to cover everything. I am thankful that people who need the help can get it!
Nicole,
you are just too ignorant for me to try and explain it again, nor do I have to time and care to explain it again. Hope you enjoy your life!
They cut WIC today. Welfare moms need to go back to work so it;s not feasible to have her mashing a banana when that’s going to take a long time. it’s a waste of time. A lot of neighborhoods have good cereal. yours doesn’t. Move. A lot of the stuff on this blog seems to gear towards punishing the poor. I suggest if you are poor and on any kind of aid, to not think like this so more people in Congress hurt you. WIC seems to allow people to budget their funds. SO budget it and supplement it with your income to but juices you thin are good for your kid
no punishment for anyone. why would and how could anyone ever expect someone to do something for theirselves that they wouldn’t do for them. If you are too lazy to work and want to have a child to supplement your income…shame on you! it will come to an end very soon.
What you are suggesting is that a parent steals wic food,
wic is not cash for children its food, quite frankly a ward of the state would probably have the same food.
what the hell are you talking about, it takes too long to mash a banana up if you work? I know they has to be funny, right?
Everyone that receives WIC needs to have their Federal and State Refunds garnished for the money amounts.
I have looked at some of the post on the page so far. I am currently on WIC. My family has 3 kids ages 9, 4, and 2 years. I did breastfeed my kids. My oldest I dried up in ONE MONTH (Thank goodness for WIC), the next child I nursed for about THREE MONTHS then dried up (Thank goodness for WIC), my youngest needed to be supplemented with formula since my breast milk did not have enough calories for him (Thank goodness for WIC). WIC has been a godsend to my family, we were an ative duty military family, struggling to make ends met, now we are a Reserve military family, (with both a civilian job and the Reserve job we do not make close to the active duty time). I think that you need to open your eyes to the real problems in the country, education and disaplin of the K-12 students in the country.
To “Florida Mom”,
You are correct with some of the problems.
1. One of the problems is many females and family’s think they are supposed to have children that they cannot afford and the rest of the taxpayers are to pay for them! Have all the kids you want but the TAXPAYERS should not have to pay anything. There are too many excuses of people not having enough money and then they have multiple children OMG.
2. Entitlement, this goes with the first one. People think they are entitled to everything. I only wish the Gov’t would grow some balls!
3. Family family family. Don’t blame a school for your childs lack of education. It is a parents responsibility! I know the school should do everything then the parent hit McDonalds on the way home and put the child on the floor while the parent talks on the phone and text messages.
4. Discipline, I think you meant. Ah PARENT again!
We the people are not for you slackers to abuse. Oh what did you do with your tax refund! So who paid more in taxes for your kids schools you or someone with less kidss.
Sorry to break this but the republican argument of care for the fetus (even then) not the child seems to apply here, for rebuttal of that such comments are not wise
Summer……………
Educate yourself! The juice is getting kids addicted, it would be much more responsible and being a parent if one would not get basically junk juice vs. water, citrus and other means to supplement. Case solved, a lazy parent wants to give a child something to get addicted to and so they can do what they want.
Girl you can see you are not even out of high school, pregnant and now on wic.
Why don’t you do some homework on HFCS. Do some chemistry and figure our your body as well. Thrid, stop having kids you cannot support.
Author: summer
Comment:
hey you are to educated yourself and must not have kids. To lazy to give supplement and would rather give juice ughhh hmmm it takes the same amount of time to give a pill with water and get a glass of juice. And its made of high fructose corn syrup that wic provides and your body is not to be denied of sugar either and thats the best kind. And if you had kids you would know they arent always complient and will refuse things such as pills and by the way liquid vitamin c costs more than what the juice does wic supplys in a month and smarty pants how you giving a baby a pill cause crushed its less effective. you do research before you critize. Im going to college to work with WIC and you clearly are uneducated!!!!
Gee, so is vitamin water or vitamin soda ok for foodstamp
I agree that the cereal allowed list while restrictive is either not restrictive enough or lax compared to elsewhere, in any case changes to other allowed foods is recommended as hypocrisy, juice is expensive, I don’t think the soul purpose of juice is vitamins diet wise, in other words WIC makes it a part of a diet in calories and nutrients, if one can take supplements one would only need a few empty calorie foods left, vouch programs should be reformulated to maybe put a dollar amount, to the author are most juices really fortified with extra vitamins? Vitamin C is water soluble and runs 100% for every 8 oz cup, its enough.
Since WIC is mostly staple foods for those who cannot prepare meals for themselves, unlike food stamps its welfare controversy is at a minimum, since anyone who argues that folks who have kids for wic, would face the argument as to what the taxpayer should do in adoption, starve the kid or give him junk food (not well defined) without supplements or with it? Birth rate of most welfare recipients is usually not high, however conservatives want to cutoff family planning. I do agree that many hispanic families do tend higher rates
however if many are illegal they are probably working at lower than minimum wage, if some are not reporting income and qualifying for benefits then its a problem.
I have not read all of these posts, but I thought I would add my opinion to all of this.
I am a mom to 3 kids under the age of 4. My husband is going to school full time and works 50 hours a week. The small amount of help from WIC is a blessing for our family. I coupon like crazy, I have tons of ways that I save money, we pinch our pennies any way possible.
To add to my above comment.
I think that WIC gives way to much food. I think that WIC gives to much milk, to much baby food and rice cereal.
But, I think that if people are not going to use that food DON’T GET IT. You don’t have to get every gallon of milk that they offer.
I am very grateful for the WIC program. But I think that it could use some small changes. I agree with the Large bottle of Apple Sauce. Not everyone has time to make there own baby food.
I completely agree with you. I don’t buy everything on the checks WIC gives me. My son and I dont drink 11 gallons of milk, and I haven’t bought the peanut butter and beans in a few months because we don’t use it fast enough. When my son was still getting the baby cereals I ended up giving it to my sister in law because he wasn’t eating it and I didnt want it to go bad and end up in the trash. At that point the stores told me that i HAD to get everything on the checks to use them. I later found our from the WIC office that I didn’t have to and have since stopped buying the items that we don’t use enough of.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. I think WIC checks should include Veggie plants on there veggie check. You can get a lot more out of 1 plant than you could ever do with a $6. I also believe you should be allowed to buy flour and yeast on your bread check. Making your own is not only cheaper but taste better and is better for you.
I know on food stamps you can buy seeds and plants. I know for myself my gardening skills combined with the limited harvest season in my area would make that impractical. I would have enjoyed being able to purchase whole wheat flour as a whole grain option though.
I want to say that I am thankful for the time that I was able to get WIC during the time that it was needed for my two sons. Unfortunately, though I work hard at my job, I make just enough for my son and I to pay our bills. We do receive enough food stamps to stretch our food through each month. I am glad that we get this, but feel ashamed, also. I want to say that I do pay taxes, too, though I am low income earner. With my tax refund I pay as many bills as possible in advance for as much of the year as possible. There a lot of hard working people out there who are trying hard to make it, one of which I am. It is very difficult to buy healthier foods, as they seem to cost more. Fresh fruits and vegetables are getting expensive to buy, also. It is very discouraging for me. It is sad to see people on here commenting about those less fortunate to get off their hind ends and get a job! Well, a lot of us DO have jobs that get some type of government help. I am glad it is possible to receive some assistance for the sake of my son, for if it were not for that we would not make it.
paula, hold your head high. We are tax paying citizens too. I am one of many that doesn’t pay federal income taxes (neither does giant rich corporation GE). But I do pay property taxes and sales tax. We do our best to be productive and good citizens that contribute to the good of our society. I believe the volunteer work I do and the money I give to charity are probably more valuable than taxes that I might owe had we had a bigger income. I know that the charity I give to primarily sure does spend its money much wiser than the government!
I find the push to find a higher paying job very frustrating. I do not ask to be rich, but so desperately want to do better. I make too much to get government medical card, but yet not enough to afford my job’s health ins. The amount taken out of each pay and the deductibles are out of my reach. I am getting too old to not have health insurance, so I hope that some kind of solution is reached with government. There are many other people in this same predicament. And if I must pay for it out of my taxes that is fine by me. I already have my taxes going out for other things, which hopefully is helping others.
I sincerely hope they do NOT cut out WIC or other programs like it. I have heard the government wants to cut HEAP and other funding for utility bills by 20%, and I cringe to see what will happen to low income seniors and families that this will effect.
I personally know of a certain woman who is receiving WIC for her two small children because she can’t afford to feed them, yet she is on Facebook showing off her collection of shoes, talking about all the drinking she does, and showing off her latest tatoo. It’s not that she can’t afford to feed her kids, it’s that she would rather spend her money on other things. If a woman wants to have a child, she should be able to provide for him/her. Enough of the entitlement programs! No one should be entitled to have kids they can’t afford.
Just because this woman may be abusing the system, does not everyone that uses and needs it is! Difficult circumstances befall many people, but to say it should be cut for those that need it because of the abuses committed by some does not solve the problem for those that benefit from this program. Many people on government assistance are hardworking people, but have wages AT or below poverty. I do think people that abuse the programs offered should be penalized or cut if they truly have an income that will feed their children. But not everyone should be cut out because of the wrongdoing of others. I was married once with two children. We lived on his income as I was mostly a stay-at-home mom. We left him because we had to. It is hard to make it, but we do. No one had better come up to me and tell me that I shouldn’t have had children because I have a hard time supporting us.
Hopefully, you are not passing judgement on everyone that needs WIC or other government help, because difficult circumstances can happen to anyone. No one knows what the future may bring.
Monica, to be honest MANY people on WIC can afford to feed their children. I am not on WIC currently but in the past when I was on WIC it was helpful to us but definitely not what you would call a “life saver.” Our children would have still been able to eat without it. I don’t buy beer, don’t have a tattoo, and my shoes come from garage sales and goodwill (except the ones I know my mom is buying me for Christmas this year!) But while we were on WIC in the past we did still have some money to do fun things- we went out to eat at a sit down restaurant sometimes, I think we were on WIC when we took a week long vacation with our kids a few years back. I know some people think I shouldn’t take advantage of a tax payer program unless I absolutely need it. I tend to think if you fall into the guidelines to use a program and you would like to use it then you should do so guilt free. I don’t judge any rich person for using public school education for their children when they can afford private. My property tax dollars pay for rich children in our community to go to a public school that spends around $10,000 a year per a student while I keep my kindergartner home to homeschool her. I also know about 3 years ago many people used a program called first time homebuyer tax credit where the government gave people thousands of dollars towards the cost of their home even if they could buy it without that help. Did I agree with that programs usefulness? No, I think there are much better ways to fix the housing market and obviously it is still very broken even after the government spent so much money on that program. But I don’t judge the people who got the free money via first time home buyers tax credit.
If you want to see government reform of programs call your local politicians and vote for people who are going to reduce government programs but don’t blame the people who qualify for the program for the programs flaws. Sounds to me like you believe WIC shouldn’t be for people who can afford to buy beer or tattoos (which I don’t buy but I could have afforded to). You might want to call your congressman and ask him to put an asset limit on qualifying for WIC- in other words if a person would have say more than $2000 in their bank they would be ineligible to receive WIC. Or since you said no one should be entitled to have kids they can’t afford maybe you want to ask your congressman to introduce a bill requiring mandatory birth control for anyone under a certain income? Seems a bit extreme to me. . . Maybe you just mean you want all programs that serve children in low income families eliminated- which sounds rather harsh for those children whose families really couldn’t afford to take care of them on their own. Really though if you have a problem with the way a government program works, talk to your congress person and vote for people who view government programs the same way you do.
I definitely have some strong opinions about flaws in the WIC program and many government programs. I’d like to see WIC not give out so many jars of babyfood when making homemade baby food is really not that difficult at all, its cheaper and more nutritious. I’d really like to see WIC taken over by the private sector and non-profit charities and make it no longer a tax payer government funded program but instead of non-profit private sector program. I blog to educate the public about the pros and cons of the WIC program and then I go out and vote for politicians that share my views!
Stop having babies you can’t feed & there will be no need for WIC.
I am glad that I had my children, and am NOT sorry. A hand up for people does wonders. Judgmental attitudes do not.
I have my own proposals on in this economy to cut WIC spending.. and serve the most needy. But as with any cuts there are going to be some hurt, but that is life sadly.
1. When my son was on WIC he got the old basic food packages of milk, eggs, juice, cheese, peanut butter, and beans. We need to cut out these expanded basic food packages that include, bread, baby food. etc. WIC was meant as a supplement programme, not to provide all the food a child would need.
2. Make the cut off age 3, so that younger children who maybe on the waiting list in their area can be served. WIC is a block grant programme.. so once the money runs out.. even if one meets the income requirements they are put on a waiting list.
3. Triage who gets put on WIC by medical and nutritional risk, not letting income alone be the deciding factor. A note from a doctor should be required for pregnant women and children stating they have a nutritional risk and would benefit medically from WIC. A pregnant woman’s baby should be eligible for 3 months after birth if she was certified. After that a note from the paediatrician should be required for continued participation.
4. Cut off all post-partum certifications. The only exception would be for BF peer counselling and pump loans/rentals. I just dont see the reason to provide food for a mother when the main focus is on the nutrition for the child. This way more children could benefit from WIC.
The reason behind the postpartum certs is to ensure that the mother is eating right. Those first few weeks can be rough if you dont have any other help at home and if the mother doesnt eat right and her health declines, who is going to take care of that baby?
I do however think that they can cut back the length of time, 6 months is not necessary.
Ladies you are all correct in your statements. Im a young that grew in a poverty neigborhood that only relied on government programs for assistance. As a adult I come to realize that the foods we eat dictate how our bodies feel, how we feel, and believe it or not or decision making. Im starting a WIC program in Tulsa Oklahoma with fresh fruit and veggie store that has the same value as a health food store and the government provided everything. Department Of Ag. supplied all the foods I needed ,Department of Human Resources provided the workforce I needed, The State provide the tutors that I needed to really help this community to state to other states to help people become a class in this society and not always rely on government. We can read the open script allday and make a easy decision on what to do about it. Being it,being there, living and seeing how people have to really living their daily live makes the passion in a decision to do something.
As a cashier in a grocery store I see this program and others very abused,Women shopping with their husband who dont like a certain peanut butter for their lunch ect.I always thought this was for kids but I see formula being sold on ebay and the flea market along with other wic items.I really think this program needs to be ended.
i have a small simple idea that can save a whole lot of money, milk cost alot even the cheap stuff but ive noticed wic aproves mayfield, other cheapr milks have the same abilites and vit. why not aprove them only and not mayfield that small and simple idea i think can save wic and taxpayers thousands in a matter of weeks and millions in a year
At one point in my life I received wic for my first born. After he was a year old we no longer qualified for it. My husband changed his profession. I, personally feel that wic does help provide food for families in need. Are there people who work the system? Of course, but to punish people who actually need the extra help would be wrong. The Wic center I went to taught me nothing except how I should’ve manipulated the system. They did not educated me on eating healthy unless that’s what the checks were supposed to do. Nor did they help me with information about breast feeding. My son is 5(in August ) and I have a daughter now. She is 6months. I know more about eating healthy and breast feeding now then I did when I had wic. Not all wic locations are the same. But I guess what can you really expect from the Bronx?
I am the mother to three, soon 4, and I am on WIC. I don’t drink, smoke, or use drugs. I’m not on food stamps, cash assistance, or housing assistance. The only Coach bag I own is the one I found while trash hunting (people throw amazing things away around here). The most expensive pair of shoes I own cost me 10$. My hubby works full time and I work part time 5 days a week. I can afford to feed my children but having some of the basics out of the way leaves me money to buy more of the rest of the stuff that we need. I always breastfeed my children and I think that formula should only be given when there is a medical need. That itself would save the WIC program TONS of money. We don’t know what kind of circumstances other people are in to judge them and tell them to not have kids or they shouldn’t have had kids. Peoples irrational judgments and accusations are truly amusing.
BTW, I’d love to make my own baby food! I plan on telling WIC to not give me the baby food.
The only government program I’ve been on is WIC. I did not even apply until a month before delivery. I work a full time job and it helps to supplement food, although I feel some of the food given is too much/a waste.
Cutting post-delivery food is not a bad idea. Vitamins would be more helpful. In my case, I was spending $9 on prenatal vitamins every 50 days. I didn’t have medicaid to pay for RX vitamins, but researched the best brand and bought over the counter. I know of some who used that food for their boyfriend/family because it is too much to use in a month. Who drinks 6 gallons of milk? Giving prenatal vitamins is a lot cheaper than giving food that one person cannot eat on their own in a month and goes where it is not intended anyway.
I feel that WIC should supplement a budget, but feel many items are unnecessary and the focus should be more on fresh food/produce.
I am BF and formula is only back up for when my daughter is watched. I barely use a can a month. I feel the formula given is overboard even going with a some formula package, which I had done in previous months when I went back to work for backup. They give 4 cans a month and I barely use 1. I feel many moms CHOOSE not to BF because formula is easier. I have seen this first hand. Statistically, very few are “incapable” of producing milk. Well, if you don’t try, of course you aren’t going to produce milk. I know many feel they don’t have “enough” milk because they can’t see it visually in the beginning and have distorted ideas of what is enough. Is it hard to BF? Yes. But I want to choose what is right for my baby. It is very difficult to cram pumping at work in my 30 minutes lunch. My whole time is devoted to pumping/cleaning parts and I still do not have enough time. I do this, however because I know BM is best and healthier. I am not looking down at anyone who genuinely cannot produce BM, but I feel such instances are rare. I know of some who stay at home and use formula and do so because it is difficult or feel BF “coddles/babies” their children, which I can’t even comprehend or try to understand. Others feel BF is “weird” or don’t want to be bothered with it. Others feel it is painful and give up. I was bleeding and I was in pain and it was not fun, but when you stick with it, it does get better, although now I have chomping teeth to look out for. If I can work full time and BF, you can at least try to BF as a SAHM. In general, I feel there needs to be better education about BF and how to do it. I am not trying to push BF down anyone’s throat and I am not obsessive about it, but I wish more women can at least give more effort into trying before giving up. How did babies survive when there was no formula? I just don’t feel it is a “necessity” in all cases, but more for convenience.
The jar food is also a big waste. My baby would be fine with half of what is offered. I like the idea of providing a blender and more fresh food. Although it is difficult because of working full time/pumping, I try to give her fresh food when possible. BM provides all the nutrients babies need and although I’d love to make fresh food all the time, it is just not possible so I spent my time pumping as opposed to making baby food, which I feel eating solids is more for practice during the first year anyway. If they provided vouchers for fresh food and education on making fresh food, that would be cheaper. Little jars of apple sauce and banana? I avoid those single varieties since I know it can be had for cheaper. How hard is it to mash up a banana? The potted meat? Pretty disgusting. The smell is horrid. I can’t imagine giving a jar of potted meat every day. It would be nice if they allowed combination jar foods. I don’t see how that is any more expensive since single/combination foods cost the same. I do buy organic baby food to try to give my baby mostly and use the single variety jars to help supplement. Since I can’t always make food, I feel that at least giving her organic food is 2nd best. I feel the 60 jars of fruit/veg is unnecessary.
The cereal is also a waste. Probably just one box out of three may be used a month. At home, I am still on my very first box of cereal and my baby is 10 months old. Even at her caregivers house, cereal isn’t used up so quickly. Even dropping just one box of cereal from the program out of the three would cut costs.
I disagree about some of the comments I read regarding staying at home being harder than working. I’d love to stay at home as to me it is not working being with my baby. Unfortunately, I work since it is a necessity to stay off other forms of assistance. I barely wanted to even apply for WIC, but did because it helps stretch the budget. By being at work, it is not easier. I’m at a job I hate. I come home, have to cook, clean, wake up early, wake up all night, care for baby… It is truly a full time job. End rant.
STOP HAVING CHILDREN YOU CANNOT FEED!!!
You are obviously very ignorant and have no knowledge about WIC or society in general. Go educate yourself.
@Jessica
The ignorance is…….those having children they CAN NOT afford and thinking the Govt has to help them. As well our Govt helping ILLEGAL people in the U.S.
Like I said, you are very ignorant and have no knowledge about the WIC program, people on it, or the government.
I already do this on my own; when I need a calcium boost I put a tablespoon of coffeemate in my Lactaid.
But just to be clear, I really would like to know your credentials to claim how unhealthy milk is. Are you a medical professional? A nutritionist? In any sort of science at all? If you’re not, then I’d advise against you passing yourself off as someone who has the credentials to claim what food/drink people should or should not be eating. It’s dangerous.