Women, Infants and Children
Here is information about WIC from Oregon's website.
"What is WIC?
WICis the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. WIC is federally funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In Oregon, WIC is administered by the Department of Human Services (DHS), Public Health Division and is part of the Office of Family Health, Nutrition and Health Screening.
WIC is a public health nutrition program designed to improve health outcomes and influence lifetime nutrition and health behaviors in a targeted, at-risk population. Nutrition education is the cornerstone of the WIC Program. "
The benefits your child receives are based on their age. As an example, my three-year old qualifies, but my six-year old does not. Your foster child can receive WIC until their fifth birthday. WIC comes in handy if you have infants still on formula, as formula is also a WIC benefit. But, WIC is not only for foster children and pregnant and nursing mothers can also receive benefits...
The benefits have been great. My three-year old receives 3+ gallons of milk, 36 ounces of cereal (about 3 boxes), 2 pounds of cheese (we get Tillamook!), fruits and veggies, and either peanut butter or beans, bread or rice each month.
WIC benefits come in the form of coupons which we take to our local grocery store (Fred Meyers, Safeway, Winco, etc.), we pick out the products and head to the check-out. We usually don't need all of our benefits at one time, so we only use a few of the coupons each week.
Of course, with any program, there are requirements, so I suggest you check out their website or give them a call.
Here is a link to the local WIC clinic listings with telephone numbers:
http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/wic/countyinfo.shtml
Another nice thing, is that WIC now issues fruit / veggie coupons which you can even use at local Farmer's Market's. I spoke with one foster mother who told me that she has organised 'WIC Picks' which her foster kiddos and another foster family. Basically, they take their kiddos berry picking and pay for their bounty with their WIC fruit / veggie coupons. What a great summer idea for the summer! The kids get to work a bit out in nature and socialise with other families. I like it!
