Many families with young children, or parents who are pregnant and expecting a child, will now have the opportunity to use an EBT card instead of a food voucher to procure nutritious food for their family at local grocery stores.
WIC, which stands for Oregon’s Women, Infant & Children public health nutrition program is locally provided by Umatilla Morrow County Head Start (UMCHS). Families served by UMCHS will begin to use this new EBT (electronic benefit transaction) card as a way to shop for WIC food benefits starting this week.
In the past, WIC clients used paper vouchers to buy healthy WIC foods.
“This is such great news for vulnerable families who may struggle financially to provide their children with nutritious meals and yet oftentimes feel conspicuous standing in a line at the market, separating WIC-covered items like formula and vegetables from other items on their list,” says Maureen McGrath, UMCHS Executive Director. The EBT cards will make it easier for WIC families to track their monthly food balance and make healthy choices. Participants will also have access to a new WIC Shopper Smart Phone App, allowing them to scan a food’s bar code to determine if it is a WIC allowed food.
UMCHS WIC provides services to nearly 4,000 lower income pregnant or nursing women, infants and children under 5 years old. Oregon’s 161,000 WIC clients spend about $64 million annually at Oregon grocery stores, pharmacies, farm stands and farmers markets with their WIC food benefits.
WIC, a program of the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division, has been offering participant-centered nutrition education, healthy food and breastfeeding support for more than 40 years. It is considered one of the most successful, cost-effective and important nutrition intervention programs in the county.
To find out if you qualify for WIC, call 541-667-2545 or stop at our friendly neighborhood WIC clinics in Pendleton, Hermiston, Milton-Freewater, Umatilla or Boardman. For more information about accessing WIC, visit the Head Start website.
