For immediate release: September 16, 2024? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?(24-112)

Contact: DOH Communications

Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program celebrates 50^th anniversary

Gov. Jay Inslee, Secretary of Health Dr. Umair A. Shah, and others gathered to recognize the program?s impact and success

OLYMPIA ? This year marks the 50^th anniversary of the Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program (WIC). WIC is a federally funded program that provides millions of families across the country with healthy food, nutrition education, breast and chest feeding support, health screenings, and other important resources.

To mark the anniversary, Gov. Jay Inslee, Secretary of Health Dr. Umair A. Shah, and representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s Food and Nutrition Service program gathered in Mount Vernon last Friday to recognize the program?s success, including the crucial support WIC provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three WIC agencies, including one each from Island County Public Health, Jefferson County Public Health, and MultiCare, were recognized with a ?Breastfeeding Award of Excellence? for exemplary breastfeeding promotion and support activities. A recording of the ceremony can be found here.

?For 50 years, every dollar of this program has gone toward saving nutritional and health costs for Washington families,? Gov. Inslee said. ?WIC saves lives, improves childhood health, and helps new families grow stronger together.?

The WIC program has been shown to reduce infant deaths, improve the growth of at-risk infants and children, raise immunization rates, and help pregnant people receive early prenatal care. Today, there are more than 200 WIC clinics in Washington state serving approximately 200,000 people. This includes nearly half of all babies born, 33% of pregnant people, and almost 25% of children under the age of five in the state.

?As a young, single parent, the WIC program was absolutely critical for me to gain access to healthy foods and resources in order for me to be the parent I wanted to be for my babies,? said Brittany Tybo, Washington State WIC director, DOH.??WIC continues to innovate and create avenues to meet families where they are and ensure they have nutritious food, education, and resources they need to survive and thrive.?

To apply for WIC, Washington families can contact their local WIC clinic, submit a WIC interest form, and learn more about eligibility online.

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