10-31-24 wic celebrates 50th anniversary

Today, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and the Department of Health Services (DHS) recognized the 50th anniversary of WIC (Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program) by proclaiming the day Wisconsin WIC Day statewide.  “This anniversary marks an incredible milestone for the work DHS does to ensure families across the state have the opportunity to access the healthy, nutritious food they need and the resources they deserve,” said State Health Officer and Division of Public Health Administrator Paula Tran. “Since the opening of the first WIC clinic in Wisconsin in 1974, WIC has been an unwavering beacon of support to families across the state. Today we celebrate these families, thank those who make our WIC programs operate in every corner of the state, and look toward a bright future for WIC and Wisconsin families.”   The country’s first WIC clinic opened its doors in Pineville, Kentucky, in January 1974. Later that year, Wisconsin’s WIC program began a pilot with the Great Lakes Inter Tribal Council (GLITC) WIC program, Green Bay Area Free Clinic, and Menominee Tribe. Within the first year, Wisconsin WIC had a total participation of 1,300. By 1980, WIC had expanded to over 55 locations, including Wisconsin’s two major urban centers Milwaukee and Madison. By 1990, the majority of the current WIC program was in place.  Today, Wisconsin has 61 WIC agencies reaching every county in the state and serving more than 90,000 people each month. Each year, these agencies support more than 130,000 people, including 38% of all babies born in the state and over 25% of Wisconsin children up to age 5.   “With nearly one in four households in Wisconsin unable to afford basic needs, the WIC program plays a critical role in supporting their well-being,” said Dr. Jasmine Zapata, Chief Medical Officer for the DHS Bureau of Community Health Promotion. “Recent studies have shown that WIC has been successful in helping to address critical health issues for pregnant people and young families, including reducing fetal deaths and infant mortality, reducing rates of low birth weight, iron deficiency, anemia, and obesity in children, and has increased immunization rates.”  The WIC program provides access to key health building blocks at critical times in life—before and after pregnancy, while breastfeeding, and during infancy and early childhood—through nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and supplemental foods for children and their caregivers. In the summer months, the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides additional benefits to families participating in WIC specifically to buy fresh, local produce from farm stands and markets across the state.

Learn more about the WIC program and find a local WIC agency near you on the DHS website.