We have used WIC since our adopted children were first placed in our home. Now it is phasing out as the boys grow older. The benefits of WIC are good, but some people may not want to go through the difficulties that come with it.
In Texas, you qualify for WIC if your children (foster, adopted, or natural) are on Medicaid. We were eligible because our children qualified for Medicaid because of their status as foster / adopted children.
The reason to want to be on WIC is the free food. For each child over one and under five in the household, the family can receive two boxes of cereal, two dozen eggs, four cans of frozen juice, two pounds of cheese, four and a half gallons of milk, and a jar of peanut butter each month. If you have an infant, you receive formula instead. Only two of our boys now qualify.
Every six months, the child has to give a drop of blood to have their iron level tested, and be weighed and measured. The parent fills out a number of forms which ask questions like, “Do you ever give your baby carbonated soft drinks?” and “Do you have running water in the house?” Sadly, for many of the families on WIC, these are relevant questions.
Then the parent fills out a form detailing what the child had eaten in the last 24 hours. The answers are analyzed and a meeting is held with the nutritionist. After that meeting, the parent is given food vouchers. The whole process usually takes two to three hours.
Halfway between the six month intervals, the parent is required to attend a class. The classes are on video and deal with child safety and nutritional subjects. The WIC personnel do not stay in the class while the film is shown. Some people watch the video, some do not. I usually take something to read or work on.
The other hassle is at the grocery store. The checkout process is slowed considerably when there are WIC items among the groceries. Sometimes, the people waiting in line get very impatient and it can be embarrassing. One person in line once made a wisecrack about how much better it would be if the paying customers were taken care of first.
At our house, we have a lot of people to feed. We are living on a fixed income. Our grocery bill is very high even with WIC. The benefits of free food were worth having to go through the process.
If you are wondering, I did not say anything to the lady who wanted me to wait at the end of the line. I thought a lot about what I should have said to her while driving home.
Related Blog:
Single Parenting and Financial Assistance