Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency’s (OLHSA) Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program is currently enrolling in the Addison area. The new WIC site opened this past December at 1440 Rochester Road in Leonard and is accepting additional participants.
The WIC program is a federally funded supplemental nutrition program. It serves low-income pregnant, breast feeding and postpartum women, and their infants and children, up to age 5, who have nutrition-related health problems.
To provide better maternal and child health outcomes, eligible families will receive coupons, formula and staple food items that often become a costly expense when raising children. The foods provided such as juice, milk, cereal, peanut butter and more are high in protein, calcium, vitamin C and other essential nutrients. These nutrients are frequently lacking in the diets of the program’s participants.
The benefits of the WIC program are wide-spread. WIC benefits more than eight million people nationwide each month. Michigan alone serves nearly 200,000 moms, babies and children monthly. According to the Michigan Department of Community Health, the program saves each participant $30-$112 per month on food items, and for every dollar spent by the program, more than three dollars in subsequent health care costs are saved.
There are eligibility requirements for WIC assistance. You may be eligible if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have recently had a baby, you have infants or children up to five years old and you meet certain income guidelines.
For more information on WIC, to make an appointment or to transfer to a location near you, please call 1-877-5262438.