WIC Nutrition Program Benefits Over 6 Million U.S. Women and Children Monthly in 2022

In 2022, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, popularly known as WIC, provided monthly benefits to over 6 million women, infants, and young children across the United States. This federally funded and state administered program has extended assistance to hundreds of millions of American families since its commencement in 1974.

Committed to the welfare of low-income pregnant women, newborn mothers, infants, and children up to five years old, WIC facilitates access to infant formula, food, nutritional education and health care referrals. With a budget of around $5.7 billion in 2022, the program served a remarkable fraction of the U.S. population.

During its peak in 2010, WIC contributed to the nutrition of over half the infants born that year. While participation in the program has waned since then, approximately 40% of the 3.7 million babies born in 2022 reaped benefits from the WIC program.

Impactful Long-Term Benefits

Sociologists who examined food insecurity and involvement in safety net programs relied on the University of Michigan’s Panel Study of Income Dynamics, a nationally representative, longitudinal household panel survey. Teams have been studying the impact of programs like WIC on children from low-income families, tracking their life circumstances over time.

Their investigation involved following 1,406 individuals hailing from low-income families, from birth to their early adulthood and comparing reports of food insecurity during their childhood with reports submitted during their adult lives.

Findings showed that children who were beneficiaries of both WIC and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) between 1984 to 2019 were four times more likely to report improved food security as adults, compared to those who didn’t receive WIC or SNAP benefits during their childhood. Moreover, food insecurity during childhood was correlated with less formal education and a higher likelihood of food insecurity as adults.

The data from this national study reflects the experiences of countless individuals: children growing up in low-income and food-insecure households can attain a brighter future with public assistance.

Potential Funding Interruptions

The future of these crucial safety net programs hangs in the balance as the mid November 2023 deadline for passing a budget in Congress looms near. Any potential government shutdown could interrupt federal WIC funding, with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stating that funding “stops immediately when a shutdown occurs”.

State and county governments, including those in Minnesota and Massachusetts, are actively developing contingency plans to avoid disruption. Even if a budget impasse can be averted, House Republicans have stated their intent to streamline the program’s budget. On the other hand, legislation in the Senate seeks to escalate the WIC funding in 2024, leaving the fate of WIC uncertain.