This year we recognize an incredible milestone for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, more commonly known as WIC. This is a milestone not only in Alamance County, but across the nation. We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the WIC program! The WIC program opened its first clinic in 1974 and has since been a steady community partner supporting healthy outcomes for women, infants and children.
WIC has used data-driven strategies and research for the past 50 years to provide quality services to our communities. The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has commissioned the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) to reevaluate the food package to ensure its nutritional integrity. NASEM completed their second scientific review in 2017, improving the balance and choice of future food options, not only more accurately aligning with the dietary guidance, but also with cultural, religious, and individual food preferences of the participants. Over the years, the supplemental food benefit package has evolved, providing a more robust package and increasing access to healthier options. The most recent update is an increase in the cash value benefit for fruits and vegetables, which has now doubled from the original amount.
The WIC program provides supplemental nutrition (healthy foods), nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and healthcare referrals for women who are pregnant, have had a baby in the last six months, or are breastfeeding and have had a baby in the last 12 months, as well as infants and children up to five years of age. To be eligible for WIC, the child or mother must live in the state of North Carolina, live in a household with an income at or below 185% of the federal poverty income guidelines, and have a nutrition-related problem or be at risk of developing a nutrition-related problem. Pregnant women, post-partum women, and children up to five years in age who receive Medicaid or Food and Nutrition Services (SNAP) meet the WIC income eligibility criteria. Alamance County WIC currently serves more than 4,000 participants.
The Alamance County WIC office is located at 319 N. Graham-Hopedale Rd., Burlington, NC, 27217. Please call 336-570-6745 with questions or to schedule an appointment. Please leave your name and telephone number if you reach the voicemail. The clinic is open Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm, and walk-ins are welcome. The Alamance County WIC office is also open from 5pm-6pm on the first four Mondays of each month (except holidays) by appointment only. You may visit the WIC website at https://www.ncdhhs.gov/ncwic to learn more about WIC.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.