Report

The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Issues

By Oliveira V, Racine E, Olmsted J, Ghelfi L

The mission of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk. WIC provides nutritious foods to supplement diets, nutrition education, and referrals to health care and other social services. Administered by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), the program has grown rapidly since 1972. Almost half of all infants and about one-quarter of all children 1-4 years of age in the United States now participate. WIC accounts for almost 12 percent of total Federal spending on food and nutrition assistance. This report describes the WIC program-how it works, its history, program trends, and the characteristics of the population it serves. It also examines issues related to program outcomes and administration. How the WIC community responds to these issues may have a large impact on future program operations.

This research was funded by the USDA Economic Research Service.

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Date Added
March 21, 2018

Citation
Oliveira V, Racine E, Olmsted J, Ghelfi L (2002) The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Issues, FANRR-27. United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Food Assistance & Nutrition Research Program. Available online: https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=46659