WIC participant and program characteristics - 1 - Federal Studies - Women, Infants, and Children

Family Economics and Nutrition Review, Spring, 2003

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides a combination of prescribed supplementation, nutrition education and counseling and increased access to health care and social services to lower income and at-nutritional-risk (1) pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women; (2) infants up to age 1; and (3) children age 1 to 4. Participants receive supplemental food benefits through vouchers or checks that allow them to obtain specific types of food (e.g., milk, juice, and cereal) from participating retail grocers. This report, generated biennially since 1992 from WIC State management information systems, summarizes demographic characteristics of WIC participants nationwide in April 2002, along with information on participant income and characteristics related to nutrition risk. In addition to describing WIC members of migrant farmworker families, the report also estimates the breastfeeding initiation for WIC infants 7 to 11 months old.

Half of WIC participants are children

As of April 2002, 8.02 million women, infants, and children were enrolled in the WIC Program, an increase of 2 percent over the program's April 2000 enrollment. Children accounted for half of WIC participants; infants, 26 percent; and women, 25 percent. From 1998 to 2002, the proportion of children enrolled in WIC declined slightly, the proportion of infants stayed the same, and the proportion of women increased slightly.

Hispanics account for largest ethnic group of WIC participants

Hispanics made up the largest ethnic group of WIC participants (38 percent), up from 23 percent in 1992. Whites were the next largest group (36 percent) followed by Blacks (20 percent), and others (Asian, Pacific Islander, American Indian, or Alaskan Native) (5 percent). The racial/ethnic composition of WIC participants has changed steadily since 1992: The percentage of Hispanic WIC participants rose while percentages of Black and White participants decreased.

Majority of WIC participants receive benefits from other public assistance programs

In 2002, 57 percent of WIC participants received benefits from at least one other public assistance program. Fifty-four percent of WIC clients received Medicaid benefits (up from 50 percent in 2000), 18 percent received food stamps (down from 27 percent in 1998), and 10 percent participated in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (down from 17 percent in 1998).

47,950 migrants in WIC Program

One-half of 1 percent of people receiving WIC services were migrants (farmworkers or their families). More than half of these migrants were enrolled in the WIC Program in three States: California, Florida, and Texas. Migrant children enrolled in WIC were older than the general population of WIC children.

People enrolled in WIC Program

Infants (
  (1) Percentages have been rounded.

            
        
    
                        
				
 COPYRIGHT 2003 Superintendent Of Documents 
		
 COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group 
		        
                


	                                        
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