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Babies: 6 - 9 Months
RayRay007
member
What's WIC?
RayRay007
member
I'm CDN. I see this here and on other mom/bf'ing blogs. I'm usually pretty good at figuring things out, but this I can't. It sounds like a public health nurse. i' take DD to public health, rather than her family dr., for shots. They'll also help you bf'ing and other health issues.
bfp#4 3/19/2014 edd 12/1/2014 please let this be the one!
beta @ 5w0d = 12,026! u/s 4/22/14 @ 8w1d it's twins!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: What's WIC?
Women Infants Children. It's a program designed to provide the basics for families in need.
cheese, milk, bread, peanut butter, formula, eggs...anyone else? What else is there, I can't remember
I've been wondering this as well. I think it might be like the Child tax benefit that we get?
Ohhhh... The posts on here are like "WIC tells me to feed my kid more" or "start solids now" etc. Why do they think they can give this advice?
bfp#4 3/19/2014 edd 12/1/2014 please let this be the one!
beta @ 5w0d = 12,026! u/s 4/22/14 @ 8w1d it's twins!
You silly Canadians with your socialized health care and your hockey and your poutine and your aboots.
Unable to even.
********************
You don't understand the appeal of Benedict Cumberbatch / think he's fug / don't know who he is? WATCH SHERLOCK. Until you do, your negative opinion of him will not be taken seriously.
Woah, you're from Canada? Maybe WIC means something different there. I was on WIC about 13 years ago when I had DD...they never told me what to do or give me that kind of advice. If that is the case now, I think they are overstepping things.
mmmmm poutine. I think thats what I'm going to have for lunch today
and your silly mooses
aboots aboots aboots
It's all about educating families on how to eat healthy. Mom's have to take a nutrition class at the beginning I believe. Of course, healthy eating is subjective so it's based on their opinion of what you/LO should be eating.
Exactly what I was going to say. Mmmm poutine.
bfp#4 3/19/2014 edd 12/1/2014 please let this be the one!
beta @ 5w0d = 12,026! u/s 4/22/14 @ 8w1d it's twins!
There's no "WIC" here. But I've seen posts here on the bump lately that seems like they're trying to give advice.
bfp#4 3/19/2014 edd 12/1/2014 please let this be the one!
beta @ 5w0d = 12,026! u/s 4/22/14 @ 8w1d it's twins!
It seems to be an interesting concept. As Rayray said, we have public health nurses that we can go see to ask about that kind of stuff, but as for funding it...
Do they give you a list of specifics that you have to buy with that money? How do they know thats what you are spending it on?
They have Med techs and nutristionist that weight the baby and talk to families. They are giving advice, but it's not the same as a doctor. WIC will provide the baby food and rice ceral at a certain age, so maybe that's why they say when they can start solids. It's up to the family if they want to listen to them.
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They do give nutritional advice but I think it's usually just advice, not mandatory.
They might say something like, "6 months is usually when to start pureed fruits and veggies." etc etc. But they aren't going to come to your house and make sure you did it. It's basically what food stamps or something would be except focused on children and their moms, while also trying to educate on having a healthy lifestyle. They get things wrong sometimes, but IMO they're a pretty great organization.
They don't give you cash. You get a very specific list of what is allowed and coupons. I used to work at a grocery and we could only give women exactly what their coupons specified.
Well it's not supposed to cover 100% of all your food, it's supposed to supplemental. So they approve certain foods, bread, milk, cheese, basics like that. Then I imagine you could buy 28 loaves of bread if you wanted but you can't use it to buy beer, or ice cream, or cheetos.
ETA, grocery stores also usually have little signs next to things that are "WIC approved" I know my grocery store has them next to carrots, and other veggies as well.
They don't give money, you're given WIC checks and on each check they list an item and the quantity you can recieve for example:
1 gallon of whole, 2%, 1%
1 1-lb cheese
1 dozen of eggs
2 loafs of bread
I didn't know they paid for jarred food as well. I was only on the program for about 4 months.
Oh so maybe you caned buy 28 loafs of bread lolz. My point was still that you can only purchase approved items.
ohh ok,that makes sense. It seems like a really great program!
funny enough that is not too far fetched. Sometimes you don't need as much milk as they provide for you...same with eggs. I remember having a butt load of unclaimed WIC checks because I didn't go through as much milk as they provided or eggs....I remember having 4 blocks of cheese. In steps in the bartering... say you had extra WIC checks that you didn't need but a friend of yours did...technically they could give you money in exchange for the items on your WIC checks. Which is an abuse of the system and NOT what they were meant for. (remember, I'm basing this off of how it was for me not how it is now)
Thanks! Apparently, things have changed from checks to a card. So now, how do you know what is avaliable for you to buy? Is it on demand or are you rationed x amount per month?
Not all states use the cards. CO is still on the coupons, which irritates me.
I'm also on WIC. Twins are crazy hard on the formula budget...
I also get WIC. When I applied I wasn't breastfeeding as much as formula feeding so I only got 1 month of the Breastfeeding/formula feeding package (theres 3- breastfeeding exclusivly, breast/formula, or just formula and you get certain things according to what package you are in)
The first month I got 1 bread, 1 cheese, 4 milks, f$10 towards fresh fruits/veggies, juice and 10 cans of formula and some other things I cant remember.
Then this month started the only formula fed package so I got 7 cans of formula (enfamil 12oz) and I get like 20 things of baby food and 4 cereal I think.
And NY still does the checks- they specify what you get- like
1- 16oz cheese, 1 gallon 1/2 fat milk, etc. and they have an amount you can't go over.
And you have to split the order up according to the checks.
Like the formula is 3 checks- 2 cans, 2 cans, 3 cans per check plus the amount you cant go over.
It's great.
We get WIC also. It is a huge help, but I can't have dairy because I EBF and Abigail is allergic...
So the milk all goes to my mom who runs an in-home daycare. The ladies in charge of WIC at the health department know this and approve, so it works out.
Seriously, when school is out for summer vacation, mom uses 2-3 gallons a day.
They have an option of lactose free milk, but that still doesn't cut it for Abigail, poor baby. There is also an option for soy milk, but soy doesn't agree with my stomach.
We have a small folder stuffed with vouchers that I am required to have when we go for appointments (where we meet with a nutritionist also), or if I use a voucher.
DH and I are the only ones who can use the vouchers. My folder has both mine and his signatures so the cashier can compare them and make sure it's really us.
...squirmy baby, can't type... the end.
We have a similar program in Quebec but for pregnant women. If you qualify financially you get nutritious foods provided.
For your baby they have programs for formula if you already receive government aid. Also you get the Quebec child care benefit, which is a check 4 times a year based on your income. The federal government also provides a monthly benefit that is also based on income and one that is $100 per child every month. You can do whatever you want with them as it is just a check in the mother's name, which is good and bad.
With your card they give you a list of what you get per month. It's really specific as far as what kinds of foods you can get so there's no confusion.
Are you sure they approve? I've heard of things like this before and I really thought it was considered fraud. I've heard of mom's having extra formula after they're done and getting in trouble for giving it away. If you aren't going to use it, I thought you had to give it back?
I don't know if they technically approve, but I've had the WIC ladies tell me that if we aren't going to use all the milk to share with a neighbor or something.
I live in Georgia and we have the coupons too. I wish we had cards, I didn't even know that existed till I read this thread. I feel like it's such a waste of trees, everything is on different checks. I think WIC is a wonderful thing. It really helps us a lot. When I signed up when I was pregnant they told me it was one of the least utilized public help type things. Formula is a killer on one income and it really helps.
Same here! One of mine is on Similac Neosure the other on Soy, that would have hurt the budget big time!
AZ doesn't use a card either, that might have been less a pain in the A as handing them all 50 (exaggerated quantity) of my checks. I've had checkout ladies tell people getting in line behind me to find a different line, this ladies got 7 WIC checks it's going to be awhile!