Recognition of WIC Support
Why are these women smiling?
These women can celebrate winning a WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence! Of the 10,000 WIC clinics across the nation, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) recently gave recognition to 103 of them for their improvement in breastfeeding rates.
One specific clinic in Maine won a Gold Award: the Maine Family Planning WIC of Hancock and Washington Counties in Ellsworth.
The support, education and practical resources from WIC make a difference. Now, twenty-nine percent of mothers coming to the Ellsworth office are fully or partially breastfeeding.
Additionally, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services won a WIC Breastfeeding Performance Bonus Award. The rate of fully breastfeeding families increased from 17.06% in fiscal year 2022 to 23.74% in fiscal year 2023.
WIC, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant and Children was prompted by various studies that identified high rates of malnutrition and hunger as a result of poverty. Thus, in 1969, the White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health created a nutrition program with particular attention to low income pregnant women and children.
Breastfeeding was not always a priority in the program. In 1989 the program first required the USDA to promote breastfeeding and the first National Breastfeeding Promotion Campaign began in 1997. It was titled “Loving Support for Breastfeeding”. Its purpose was to encourage WIC participants to start and to continue breastfeeding.
The structure of the programs has changed over the decades. It’s important elements are support from peer counselors, nutrition education, loans of pumps, helpful tools and, of course, the benefits of the WIC nutrition program.
Investing in nutrition and family support are an excellent, effective strategy to grow healthy and whole citizens, in the United States, in Maine.
To the Ellsworth WIC and your state and national colleagues, thank you for your good work. Long may you continue to grow. Because it’s true, when every baby receives human milk, we will be a healthier Maine.
Left to right:
Sara Koontz – Nutrition Counselor
Tamara Wilson-WIC Director
Jessica Holmes – Nutrition counselor / Breastfeeding peer counselor
Mariah Mace – Breastfeeding coordinator / Nutrition Counselor
Rebecca MacLean – Nutrition Coordinator