California Commemorates 50 Years of the Women, Infants and Children Program
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: For 50 years, California’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) has set the foundation for a healthier future for Californians in need by providing essential education, guidance, and access to nutrition.
SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Since 1974, the WIC program has been essential in supporting the health and nutrition of families across the nation.
“WIC plays a key role in supporting California families,” said Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer. “For 50 years, the program has provided essential education, guidance, and access to nutrition, and we look forward to continuing to ensure that families at nutritional risk have the foundation for a healthier future.”
COMMEMORATING WIC: WIC provides nutrition education, breastfeeding and chestfeeding support, healthy foods and referrals to healthcare and other community services. California administers the largest WIC program in the country, serving nearly 1 million infants, children, and pregnant and postpartum individuals per month. In 2024, WIC served 6.7 million infants, children, and pregnant and postpartum individuals in all 50 states, 33 tribes, and 5 territories in more than 10,000 clinics.
WIC has been proven to help increase key nutrients in maternal and child diets, which leads to positive health outcomes such as healthy growth and development, improved birth outcomes, fewer preterm births and low birthweights, and more.
HOW CALIFORNIANS CAN RECEIVE WIC BENEFITS: Individuals may qualify for WIC if they are pregnant, breastfeeding or chestfeeding, just had a baby (or recent pregnancy loss), or care for a child under age 5. WIC families must also have low-to-medium income or Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, or CalFresh benefits. California WIC families must reside in California. To learn more about eligibility, please visit CDPH’s How Can I Get WIC webpage.
FROM THE GOVERNOR: During Public Health Week 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom released a letter commemorating the WIC program’s five decades of enduring impact on California’s families and across the nation. The Governor recognized California’s nearly 1 million WIC participants and WIC’s support of local businesses and economies with more than $70 million spent monthly in more than 3,800 grocery stores, military commissaries, and farmers markets in the state.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: To honor the 50th anniversary of WIC during World Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 1–7), CDPH is joining the City of Berkeley WIC for its annual WIC-nic event on Friday, Aug. 2 in Berkeley, California.
CDPH WIC has also prepared a special WIC 50th Anniversary webpage for local agencies and partners to use, including social media content, flyers, written copy, and more.