April 29, 2008 09:48 pm
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By Wally Kennedy
wkennedy@joplinglobe.com
Rising food prices and growing participation have led to changes in Missouri’s Women, Infants and Children nutrition program.
In order to maintain current levels of service to participants and to reduce the overall cost of the WIC food packages, the program will provide food coupons for only store-brand or generic cereals, store-brand frozen juice, and 46-ounce cans of store-brand 100 percent juice.
These products replace more expensive name-brand products or products that have more expensive forms or packaging, such as juice in plastic bottles.
The changes are effective May 1. The program will provide a new printed food list for participants to use.
Joyce Doty, program coordinator for the Joplin Health Department, said: “This is a cost-containment measure. We have a growing number of people to serve because the financial situation is getting tight. Our numbers are increasing. We are serving 400 more per month than in previous months.
“We have to have more money to meet this increasing demand. Because of that, the food coupons we issue will be for store brands or generic brands only. There will be no name-brand products.”
Lyn C. Konstant, chief of Missouri’s WIC program for nutrition services, said, “As Missouri families make adjustments when food prices rise, we are making similar adjustments in WIC to make sure our food budget stretches as far as possible.”
Konstant said food prices have increased by 10 percent during the past six months, while participation in the WIC program has increased 4 percent for the same period.
In addition to cereal and juice, WIC provides a variety of nutritious foods to pregnant women, infants and young children, including milk, cheese, eggs, peanut butter, carrots, dried beans and peas, and infant formula.
“Despite tightening budgets brought on by the rising cost of food and increasing participation in WIC, this move will ensure that WIC participants continue to receive nutritious foods and the program stays within its budget,” Konstant said.
In January, the Joplin Health Department signed a contract to continue to provide WIC services in the federal 2008 fiscal year, which continues through Sept. 30.
Under the contract, the department serves 3,455 eligible clients each month, putting it among the six largest WIC programs in the state. The contract was increased to $409,307 to handle a larger number of participants. Last year’s contract was about $360,000.
WIC provides specific supplemental foods and nutrition education at no cost to pregnant, breast-feeding and postpartum women, and infants and children up to age 5. WIC participants are individuals who meet WIC income guidelines and are at nutritional risk. The program prescribes specific foods to improve the participant’s diet, such as protein, iron, calcium, zinc, folate, and vitamins A, C and B6.
Breast-feeding is recognized as the best way to feed infants. If supplementation is necessary, infants can receive iron-fortified formula.
Participants are issued food checks that may be redeemed for individual food prescriptions at authorized stores.
How to enroll
People may apply for WIC assistance by calling (417) 623-1928. The program coordinator is Joyce Doty. The WIC office is at 321 E. Fourth St.
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