Woman, Infants and Children Program
Helps Families Get Proper Nutrition
HOUSTON – (Sept. 26, 2007) – Providing the proper care and nutrition to your growing family should be top priority, regardless of economic situation or citizenship status. Luckily, for families in need of financial assistance, The University of Texas WIC (Woman, Infants and Children) Program provides several free services. WIC is a nutrition program that helps pregnant women, new mothers, single fathers and grandparents with young children (birth to 5 years old) get the proper nutrition they need.
Karen Gibson, R.D.
Some of the benefits include education about healthy ways to feed a family, vouchers to receive free healthy foods at local grocery stores, breastfeeding advice from experienced consultants and breast pumps. By providing information, nutritious foods and referrals to other medical and social services, the program hopes to avoid nutrition-related illnesses, such as anemia, and prevent premature births while promoting health pregnancies.
“We provide assistance to low- and middle-income families,” says Karen Gibson, R.D., nutritionist manager in the Department of Pediatrics at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and UT WIC program director. “Another thing people don’t realize is that they are not required to be American citizens to receive the benefits of WIC. It isn’t considered a public charge, which is a big concern for most people applying for citizenship.”
In the United States, an illegal immigrant will not be considered a public charge if they use certain medical programs, food programs and other programs that do not give cash. According to the federal government, a “public charge” is defined as an illegal immigrant who has become or is likely to become dependent on government assistance by either receiving public cash for low income maintenance or being institutionalized for long-term care at government expense. This means anyone eligible for WIC in the United States, regardless of citizenship status, can take advantage of what WIC has to offer.
“In addition to nutrition education, we provide supplemental foods that are good sources of specific nutrients such as protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins C and D,” says Gibson. “In other words, we give vouchers that list specific amounts and types of foods to buy such as milk, cheese, eggs, juice, cereal, dried beans and peanut butter. We give tuna and carrots to mothers who are breastfeeding and formula to those who are not breastfeeding. They then take the vouchers to their local grocers and redeem them for food.”
The UT WIC program has six locations and most staff members are Spanish speaking/bilingual. To take advantage of these free services, an individual will need to show proof of identification, address and household income.
WIC is different from other government programs, such as food stamps, in the sense that the food selection control is taken out of the client’s hands, therefore guaranteeing a nutritional variety. Studies have shown that WIC helps to prevent nutrition-related illnesses and in the long run saves money for other government programs. In addition to these services, WIC performs screenings and referrals to other health, welfare and social services.
For information or to request and appointment, contact one of these six clinics:
Power Center WIC |
University WIC |
North Channel WIC |
Hobby WIC |
Spring Branch WIC |
Aldine WIC |