WIC woes

Photo by Tanya Little

I just learned that in Minnesota you can make up to $60,672 with a family of 4 and still qualify for WIC. I believe that’s about 2.5 times higher than the poverty level. That’s a pretty stinking large income to be on government assistance!

I’m curious about the rationale behind Minnesota choosing to use tax dollars to provide WIC to families who can easily be considered middle class, not low income. I have a feeling their rationale is that WIC saves health care dollars since they are offering WIC to families in the higher income bracket only if they are “willing to apply for a Minnesota Health Care Program.”

I’m not sure how long Minnesota has been offering WIC to this high of an income bracket, but I would LOVE to see a study comparing families of 4 making $60,000 a year that use WIC verses the families that make $60,000 a year and choose not to use WIC. I wonder how much the program helps people on that income level to make healthier eating choices. If they produced a study showing that it had benefits and reduced health care costs, I’d be for the government providing WIC services to ALL pregnant women, infants, children, and nursing mothers regardless of income.

With the economy hurting the way it is, I think it’s just a matter of time before Minnesota is going to have to PROVE the benefits of providing free food to middle class families, or else cut it out. I look forward to seeing the reports they give.

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