Governor Rell: State to Receive Stimulus Funds

for WIC Nutrition Program

Nearly $400,000 To Upgrade Technology for Program

That Serves Thousands of Low-Income Women and Children

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that Connecticut will receive $391,270 in federal stimulus funds to develop a data system in support of the state’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children – better known as the WIC Program.  The system will improve the delivery of WIC services to clients and enhance WIC’s ability to positively impact the health and nutrition of women and children. 

“Sixty thousand Connecticut women, infants and children who are at nutritional risk depend on the vital services that WIC provides,” stated Governor Rell.  “These stimulus funds will allow us to develop a state-of-the-art data system that will improve our ability and efficiency in providing these much-needed services.”

The new WIC system, which will replace the current system implemented over a decade ago, will:

·        Enhance health data collection and reporting

·        Streamline referrals and food issuance

·        Improve scheduling of client visits

·        Provide reminders for appointments,  necessary documentation and lab reports

·        Calculate and chart children’s growth

·        Simplify the replacement of lost or damaged food checks.

WIC is a federal grant program administered nationally by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and in Connecticut by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH).  

WIC provides nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion, referrals to health care and social services and specific nutritious foods to eligible pregnant women, postpartum women up to six months after delivery, breastfeeding women up to one year after delivery, and infants and children up to their fifth birthday.  

WIC participants receive monthly checks for the purchase of fruits and vegetables, canned fish, milk, eggs, cheese, juice, peanut butter, legumes, cereal, infant cereal, formula, baby food much more.  Recipients are seen in WIC offices at least every 3 months and every month for participants at high nutritional risk.  Recipients receiving WIC benefits in Connecticut must be state residents, meet income guidelines and be at nutritional risk.

For more information on the state’s WIC program, visit www.ct.gov/dph