Women, Infants & Children Supplemental Nutrition Program beneficial to Maverick Countians

By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2015

Maverick County Women, Infants, and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program Director Lupita Fuentes stated that the WIC Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) was founded by the United States government to provide 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.

Fuentes added that WIC is administered by the Texas Department of State Health Services and is available to anyone who lives in Texas and meets the program guidelines regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, and disability or immigration status.

The WIC Program in Maverick County currently serves up to 4,300 women and children per month, assisting them with short-term intervention programs which are designed to influence lifetime nutrition and health behaviors in targeted high-risk population areas.

“We have a maximum case load of 5,200 clients that we can provide for. Right now we’re seeing close to 4,300 clients per month as I have a very efficient staff. WIC is always changing, with new policies and we have to adapt to it and I have the staff that know the policies so we run the program very efficiently as a team,” said Fuentes.

Fuentes has been with the WIC Program locally for 33 years discussed the application process and requirements for participating in the WIC Program.

“WIC is for low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk,” said Fuentes.

The requirements to qualify for WIC include applicants must have income at or below 185 percent of the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines, or be enrolled in TANF, SNAP, or Medicaid. Applicants are screened by health professionals for 1) Medically-based risks such as anemia, underweight, smoking, maternal age, history of pregnancy complications, or poor pregnancy outcomes and 2) diet-based risks such as not consuming the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommended amount of protein or iron in their diet.

“We currently serve over 4.300 families, mothers and children and continuously seek to grow the program and assure the health of young children and their mothers through the first five important years of their lives,” said Fuentes.

The WIC Program offers nutrition education screenings and referrals for healthcare and social services, healthy foods program and breast feeding promotion and support.

Fuentes states that the goals of the WIC Program are to decrease the complications of pregnancy, to prevent low birth weight babies, decrease iron deficiency anemia, to promote optimum growth and development of infants and young children.

“The WIC Program Services Includes special, WIC vouchers for nutritious foods, Nutrition education, Breastfeeding education and support, Referrals to health care and other community services,” added Fuentes.

“We encourage prenatal care, early prenatal care even to the point if you’re planning a pregnancy prepare yourself, take those vitamins and in the long rum we’re going to have a healthier delivery, healthier baby a mother who will recover faster thus reducing the burden on the parents and government in the future,” said Fuentes.

“The program is very good and beneficial for our communities and our families,” said Fuentes.

Numerous studies show that WIC is effective and helps reduce premature births, reduce low and very low birth-weight babies, reduce fetal and infant deaths, reduce, the incidence of low-iron anemia, Increase access to prenatal care earlier in pregnancy, Increase pregnant women’s consumption of key nutrients such as iron, protein, calcium, and Vitamins A and C, Increase immunization rates, Improve diet quality and Increase access to regular health care.

If you are a female that is expecting or planning to get pregnant and wish to apply to the WIC program, you can go by the WIC Veterans Boulevard Clinic located at 2525 Veterans Boulevard or call telephone number (830) 773-1105 and/or the Eidson Road Clinic located at 1175 Eidson Road, telephone number (830) 752-3001.