2024 marks the 50th anniversary of WIC! To celebrate, we are sharing 5 fun facts about WIC each month (February-November) to finish the year with a total of 50 fun facts.
Bookmark this page and check back each month for more facts about WIC!
Fun Facts About WIC
new!
- In 1968, Dr. David Paige developed a clinic-based food distribution program that became the foundation for WIC.
- In 1975, Congress established WIC as a permanent national health and nutrition program.
- The WIC Works Resource System was launched in 2000. It’s almost 25 years old!
- WIC is serving approximately 6.5 million participants in 2024!
The WIC Picks monthly newsletter has over 130,000 subscribers!
- WIC helps reduce instances of low birthweight rates and can increase the duration of pregnancy for many women!
- In 1992 Congress established the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program to provide fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables to WIC participants.
- Pregnant women participating in WIC often receive prenatal care earlier.
- Children enrolled in WIC are more likely to have a regular source of medical care!
- WIC improves the dietary intake of many pregnant and postpartum women, and can improve healthy weight gain rates during pregnancy.
- WIC is effective at improving nutrient intake for preschoolers.
- Pineville, Kentucky (pop. 1,700) was the country’s first WIC site in 1974.
- WIC supplemental foods in 1974 included infant formula, milk, cheese, eggs, infant and adult cereals, and fruit juice.
- WIC serves participants in all 50 states, 33 tribes, D.C., and 5 territories with roughly 10,000 clinics.
- Children enrolled in WIC are more likely to be up to date on immunizations.
- WIC serves about half of all infants born in the United States.
- WIC decreases the incidence of iron deficiency anemia in children.
- Children of mothers who participate in WIC have been shown to have improved vocabulary scores.
- WIC participation has been shown to improve children’s growth rates.
- WIC reduces fetal deaths and infant mortality.