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A woman’s health is very important during pregnancy. One of the most important factors when it comes to her health is her ability to make sure that she is eating and maintaining a healthy weight. This might not be hard for some women but for those that are low income providing food for themselves during their pregnancy might be hard and that is where the WIC program comes in.
The WIC or Women, Infant and Children Program is a federally funded government assistance program that helps low income women get health food. The WIC program starts when a woman is pregnant in order to ensure that she is getting the nutrition and food that keeps her healthy and the baby safe. The program lasts as long as she is pregnant and will go until the child reaches the age of five.
WIC benefits come in the form of an EBT card and the money is automatically loaded onto the card. The mother can then go into the store and purchase pre-approved items that are considered by the program as healthy foods. These usually include nutrient rich, healthy items such as fruits, dairy, meats and vegetables.
In order to qualify for the program a woman must be at 185% below the federally approved poverty level. She must be pregnant or have children under the age of five in the household. Benefits are based off the number of children that are qualified on the program and can vary from house to house. In most cases if a woman is receiving other benefits such as unemployment, medicare or medicaid they already qualify for WIC benefits. However, if she is not on a program then she can go and apply specifically for the program. After a careful assessment of income, benefits and qualifications she will be accepted or denied into the program.
