WIC is a food assistance program for Women, Infants, and Children. It helps pregnant women, new mothers, and young children eat well and stay healthy. The Women, Infant, and Children program is open to any Illinois resident meeting income guidelines and many medical card recipients are eligible. WIC offers services to pregnant women, postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5 (including foster children). If found eligible, you will receive valuable food coupons to purchase healthy foods for your family, such as milk, cheese, bread, eggs, juice, fruits, veggies, dry beans or peas, peanut butter, baby foods, and baby cereals. If you are unable to breastfeed we can assist with formula supplementation.
The WIC Program Offers:
Nutrition assessment and counseling– Our Certified Health Professionals will offer health and nutritional information tailored to your needs, to help you and your family eat well and be healthy. They will complete a nutrition assessment with each participant and offer advice and medically proven guidance on how to achieve optimal health. Services offered include health and developmental screenings; personalized 1:1 nutrition education; counseling for pregnant mothers, breastfeeding mothers, postpartum mothers, and families with newborns up to age 5. Clients are also provided referrals for any services the Edgar County Public Health Department is unable to offer, to assist them in every aspect of their new journey as a parent. WIC makes it possible for the clients to purchase healthy foods that follow the “My Plate” recommendations from the USDA for a healthy balanced diet. Each WIC client receives valuable food vouchers to supplement their nutrition. These vouchers offer foods from each section of the “My Plate.
Weight monitoring– We will weigh you, your infant, and/or child at any time to help monitor and ensure you are on track for a healthy pregnancy and that your infant and/or child are gaining weight appropriately. Many new moms worry that their new baby may not be gaining enough weight. We can ease your mind, just stop in and ask for a weight check.
Iron testing– this is completed with a single fingerstick to determine if your iron levels are low, causing you to be anemic.
Breastfeeding education & Support– Our office has 2 Certified Lactation Consultants on staff waiting to assist you on your breastfeeding journey. We also offer breastfeeding preparation classes, along with ongoing assistance once the baby is delivered. If a breast pump is needed we can assist you in obtaining a pump through Medicaid or offer referrals to a durable medical provider for private insurance claims. Some babies may need an extended stay at the hospital after delivery. Those mothers may need a hospital grade breast pump to assist with milk supply, until the baby can latch. We can offer a loaner pump program to assist those mothers until their baby comes home.
About ECPHD's WIC Program:
Our WIC and Family Case Management staff are dedicated to serving the families of Edgar County by providing much-needed services to help these families achieve optimal health. We will continue to strive to increase knowledge and awareness about our WIC/FCM services, knowing that those that do choose to participate are leading healthier lives because they are more educated on how to make wise food choices for their families.
WIC is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
- mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email:
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
ECPHD WIC FAQ
Please give us a call at 217-465-2212 or stop by at 502 Shaw Ave. Paris, Il 61944.