OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma State Department of Health’s Woman, Infants and Children (WIC) program is asking for input from individuals about the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program’s Operations.

Information shared with WIC will be considered for the State Plan of Program Operations for 2024. In order for comments to be considered, they must be received before August 1, 2023.

Every month, over 70,000 Oklahomans participate in the WIC program.

WIC is a federally funded nutrition education and supplemental food program for low income, pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants, and children up to five-yearsold. Eligibility is determined by nutritional risk and incomes that fall below 185 percent of the poverty level.

“A priority of our program is to make sure those who are pregnant understand the importance of adequate nutrition throughout their pregnancy,” said Christina Windrix, the OSDH WIC Service Director. “Studies have shown that pregnant women who participate in WIC have longer pregnancies which leads to fewer premature births, lowbirth weight babies, and even fewer fetal and infant deaths.”

The program also offers breastfeeding services and support to expectant and new mothers.

WIC’s goal is to make certain that mothers and eligible families with young children have the basic nutritional knowledge necessary to assure their children’s proper nutrition intake.

“Our program provides a monthly prescription of nutritious foods tailored to supplement the dietary needs of participants to ensure good health, growth and development,” said Windrix. “The foods are specifically chosen to provide consistency with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and establish dietary recommendations for infants and children under five-yearsold.”

The selected foods also reinforce WIC nutrition education messages, address emerging public health nutrition related issues, and provide wide appeal to the diverse WIC population.

WIC is housed within county health departments and independent contract clinics throughout the state and operates hand in hand with other public health programs to provide referral services to health care and social services.

Comments may be submitted electronically or by letter to: Oklahoma State Department of Health Attention WIC Service 123 Robert S. Kerr Ave., Suite 1702 Oklahoma City, OK 73102-6406 For more information about WIC, visit this website. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) protects and improves public health through its system of local health services and strategies focused on preventing disease. OSDH provides technical support and guidance to 68 county health departments in Oklahoma, as well as guidance and consultation to the two independent city-county health departments in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Learn more at Oklahoma.gov/health.