WIC has an e-mail address
for appointments and questions about the WIC
Program. It is hltwicinfo@cityofhouston.net.
The
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program is funded
and administered at the national level by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and at the state level by the Texas Department
of Health. Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a special
supplemental nutrition program which provides health care referrals,
nutrition education and nutritious foods to pregnant, breastfeeding
and postpartum women, and children under five who have nutrition
health-related problems. WIC has a strong health component;
women must be screened during pregnancy and, after delivery,
for at least six months. If a woman breastfeeds, she and her
infant may receive benefits for one year. After one year, children
may receive benefits up to age five as long as the re-certification
criteria are met every six months. While participating in the
program, WIC-approved foods supplying significant amounts of
protein, iron, vitamin C, calcium and other nutrients needed
for proper growth and development are provided. Each participating
infant or child and their siblings receive immunizations at no cost.
To be eligible
for the WIC program in Texas one must be pregnant, a mother
who is breastfeeding, or a woman who has had a baby in the last
six months. Infants and children up to age five are also eligible. WIC
applicants will be asked for identification and proof of residency
in an approved WIC service area. Their income will be checked
to see that it does not exceed statewide standards. They will
be screened for medical and nutritional risk. Once eligibility
is determined, the participant will receive counseling, nutrition
education, and food vouchers each month during their eligibility
period. The vouchers can be exchanged for prescribed foods at
approved local grocery stores. Currently the
Houston Department of Health and Human Services WIC Program
operates 17 public delivery sites.
Most of the clinics are open evenings and Saturdays.
Residents of the City
of Houston and Harris
County may request eligibility screening or they may be
referred by any dietitian/nutritionist, nurse or physician from
any health or medical facility, public or private, in the county.
WIC APPOINTMENTS : (713) 794-9090
In
accordance with federal law and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on
the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
