Adequate and Nutritious Food a Cornerstone of Healthy Development for
Published on August 22, 2024
Helena - Research shows that the first years of a child’s life are crucial to their future health and well-being. And adequate and nutritious food is a cornerstone of healthy development.
Lewis and Clark Public Health (LCPH) encourages expectant mothers, new parents, and caregivers with young children to sign up for WIC, otherwise known as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
Eligible applicants include pregnant women, breastfeeding women with a baby under one years old, women with a baby less than six months old, infants and children up to five years old, and women whose pregnancy ended early.
WIC services provide local families nutrition screening, education, and counseling to improve eating behaviors and reduce or eliminate nutrition problems. Those families then receive benefits to purchase healthy food at supermarkets across Montana, as well as food vouchers for use at the local farmers’ market.
The WIC food package includes a variety of healthy options to help pave the way for a lifetime of nutritious eating. Those food include beans, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, cheese, cereal, eggs, canned fish, peanut butter, milk, 100% fruit juice, infant formula, infant cereal, and baby food.
Peer breastfeeding counselors also offer breastfeeding support and counseling, along with free breast pumps.
The program also provides referrals to private and public health providers, referrals for dental screenings, and referrals to other local health and social services. All the many benefits of this program give children and families the support they need to grow into the best and healthiest versions of themselves.
Brand new applicants must visit the WIC office at 1930 9th Avenue in Helena to sign up and receive an initial screening. Applicants must also bring documentation to their first appointment – proof of identity, residence, and income.
WIC participants meet with staff four times a year while enrolled in the program, and benefits are issued quarterly.
Applicants must meet State Income Guidelines, found here. Applicants are automatically income eligible for WIC if their household receives SNAP, Healthy Montana Kids Plus and/or Montana Medicaid, TANF, FDPIR, and National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
Interested families can contact the LCPH WIC team by calling 406-457-8912 or emailing wic@lccountymt.gov to schedule an appointment.
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720- 2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508- 0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: 1. mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or 2. fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or 3. email: program.intake@usda.gov This institution is an equal opportunity provider