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50 Fun Facts About WIC

WIC 50 Honoring the past. Nourishing the future.

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

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  1. WIC is effective at improving nutrient intake for preschoolers. 
  2. Pineville, Kentucky (pop. 1,700) was the country’s first WIC site in 1974.
  3. WIC supplemental foods in 1974 included infant formula, milk, cheese, eggs, infant and adult cereals, and fruit juice.
  4. WIC serves participants in all 50 states, 33 tribes, D.C., and 5 territories with roughly 10,000 clinics.
  5. Children enrolled in WIC are more likely to be up to date on immunizations.
     


     

  6. WIC serves about half of all infants born in the United States.
  7. WIC decreases the incidence of iron deficiency anemia in children. 
  8. Children of mothers who participate in WIC have been shown to have improved vocabulary scores. 
  9. WIC participation has been shown to improve children’s growth rates.  
  10. WIC reduces fetal deaths and infant mortality. 

About WIC Works

The WIC Works Resource System (WIC Works) is an online education, training and resource center for State, local and clinic staff administering the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). It is a project of the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

USDA uses WIC Works as the primary means to share FNS resources as well as resources from a variety of Program partners, including WIC State and local agencies, WIC clinics, other federal agencies, and non-government entities that offer WIC-relevant resources. Through WIC Works, USDA supports health and nutrition professionals in their efforts to administer the WIC Program. USDA is not responsible for the availability or content of these external sites. USDA, its employees, and contractors do not endorse, warrant, or guarantee the products, services, or information described or offered at these Internet sites. Any reference to a commercial product, process, or service is not an endorsement or recommendation by the USDA, its employees, or contractors.

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