WIC

Today Melissa Alfano, an RD from the Athens and Perry County WIC offices, came to talk with our class. She actually got her undergraduate and masters degree from OU. She told us about WIC and her personal experiences as a dietitian. WIC stands for Women, Infants, and Children and it is a federal program under the USDA. WIC provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk. It is funded completely by the federal government, but changes can be made a the state level. In order to be eligible, participants have to be 185% of the US poverty line or have a medicaid card. To be a part of an Ohio WIC program, you must be a resident of Ohio. All of the 88 counties in Ohio have an affiliation with WIC. WIC's mission is to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care.


WIC provides nutrition education to clients as well, and there is a need to nutrition professionals. RDs specifically evaluate high risk clients and provide the appropriate care and nutrition education. Every two years the Athens and Perry county WIC are evaluated at the state level. Research is also done at the federal level to determine the federal budget for the WIC program. 


At my field experience I actually spent some time working at the WIC in Zanesville, Ohio. It was a great experience to work with the community, and be part of a different type of nutrition care than I was used to in the hospital.