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The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Economic Issues, 2009 Edition. Economic Research Report Number 73

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Bibliographic Details
Title: The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Economic Issues, 2009 Edition. Economic Research Report Number 73
Language: English
Authors: Oliveira, Victor, Frazao, Elizabeth, Economic Research Service (USDA)
Source: US Department of Agriculture. 2009.
Availability: US Department of Agriculture. 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250. Web site: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 90
Publication Date: 2009
Document Type: Reports - Descriptive
Descriptors: Economic Factors, Nutrition, Infants, Nutrition Instruction, Social Services, Mothers, Child Health, Low Income Groups, Young Children, At Risk Persons, Dietetics, Access to Health Care, Federal Programs, Federal Aid, Eligibility, Delivery Systems, Federal Legislation, Expenditures, Costs, Individual Characteristics, Racial Differences, Ethnicity, Poverty, Socioeconomic Status, Program Administration, Food, Financial Support, Program Effectiveness, Obesity, Well Being
Geographic Terms: United States
Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: Child Nutrition Act 1966, Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Abstract: 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 through age 4 who are at nutritional 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), almost half of all infants and about a quarter of all children ages 1-4 in the United States participate in the program. WIC is USDA's third-largest food and nutrition assistance program, accounting for 10 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 current issues facing WIC, focusing mainly on those with important economic implications. Methodology for Estimating WIC Participants as a Percent of U.S. Population Subgroups is appended. (Contains 23 figures, 7 tables, and 126 footnotes.)
Abstractor: ERIC
Number of References: 103
Entry Date: 2010
Accession Number: ED508195
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract: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 through age 4 who are at nutritional 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), almost half of all infants and about a quarter of all children ages 1-4 in the United States participate in the program. WIC is USDA's third-largest food and nutrition assistance program, accounting for 10 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 current issues facing WIC, focusing mainly on those with important economic implications. Methodology for Estimating WIC Participants as a Percent of U.S. Population Subgroups is appended. (Contains 23 figures, 7 tables, and 126 footnotes.)