I loved being on WIC from 2000-2005. I loved the cooking classes, free recipe books and never having to worry about food for my son. My ex-husband and I were very poor college students back then so knowing there would be cereal, milk and other food for our son in constant supply was a blessing indeed. For me, WIC was pretty consistent. You went in about once a month, had your child weighed, measured and sometime a finger prick to check iron levels (a child can be on WIC until the age of 5 or until your income increases over poverty mark for the family size). Then, you got your folder of checks. These checks were good for specific items and varied in selection with the child’s age.
Once in a while they had me sign up for a class. One was on how to make macaroni and cheese from scratch (white base, add cheese, boil macaroni, put in oven) and another on the number of fruits and vegetables your child was to eat per day and how to make eating them fun and interesting (ants on a log!). Most classes came with government-printed recipe books and handouts. I thought it was fun, and honestly, a bit like junior high home-ec class, which I also liked quite a bit.
But I was surprised to hear that many women have had different experiences with WIC than I have. Reports of “pushy staff” and mundane visits have been ringing in my ears. Some even quit. I think it would take a lot for me to quit a free food program but when you hear that a mother “didn’t feel respected as a parent” that is definitely hard to take. I think that would push me over the edge.
WIC tried to pressure me into breastfeeding but in no way with a heavy hand. In the office, I succumbed to pressure to join a class just to learn about it but then cancelled. I was 19 and pregnant. All my brothers and sisters had been bottle-fed and I wanted my husband to be able to help. I worried about breastfeeding not working out. I could go on and on but I don’t want to make this a breastfeeding post. Suffice it to say, I just wasn’t ready to breastfeed. I was young, scared and had no frame of reference. I gave a sigh of relief when I got my first formula checks without hassle.
So, upon reading that WIC is actually trying to recruit low income families to join, I started to wonder why this would be needed. Isn’t the Right always saying we “poor people” want our free cheese? Guess we don’t if they are all up in our parenting business.
I hope WIC is taking surveys to see why people leave or refuse to join. WIC doesn’t seem to be as well-known as it used to be. Has it overstayed its welcome? I don’t think so. Perhaps there is pressure from higher up Government folks for WIC to produce impressive numbers to report back to those who elected to support and fund the program. I’ve learned in my past few months of grant writing that grantors (government or not) REALLY want to see what you do with THEIR money. Perhaps that’s it…WIC is pressuring parents to churn out super babies so they can keep their funding.
What’s your WIC story? I’d love to hear it.
Oh man, I appreciated WIC so much. I was on it for most of 7 years, since my first baby was in utero. In Montana, I came in once every couple of months, sometimes had to bring the kids, sometimes just to pick up the checks. We got vouchers in the summer for fresh fruit and veggies only from the Farmer's Market. The summer I was pregnant with my youngest, that saved me as I could only eat canteloupe and other watery fruits. And being off of WIC I appreciate it even more. Blocks of cheese are pricey, yo!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great article. I had no idea WIC was recruiting. I think it should say a lot to them about the changes that they need to think about making...
ReplyDeleteVery thought-provoking!
WIC is always recruiting. Actually WIC funding faces budget cuts while food stamps is always getting increased because WIC doesn't end up getting the participation to justify their budget. WIC definitely has its positives but it has its negatives too. I would love to have any of you guest post on your favorite or least favorite part of WIC on the WIC blog I host.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments, Lynn. We would love to guest post!
DeleteI loved WIC too . . . when I was younger. The cheese was definitely awesome. I didn't breast feed my first three kids, so the formula was AMAZING. I didn't get any fresh fruit and veggies, however, as Bess mentioned. If I remember correctly, it was milk (or formula), cereals, and cheese. This was maybe where my frustrations started and was why I didn't mess with it with my last (fourth) pregnancy (ten years after I had my first three). They gave me great stuff, but then I remembered being overloaded with some things (like cereal) and still lacking so greatly in others (sort of what food stamps does for us now . .. "So, what do I do without real cash for diapers or rent?"). I remember the appointments and classes and - maybe this was because I went through WIC in Indiana - but I felt kinda' belittled, and I knew this would be worse being older. The checks themselves and the strict brand name lists seemed to be more of a hassle than they needed to be. The classes as I remember them were more so about common sense health issues that I already had down (definitely with my third child!) and being forced to take them seemed silly, but I had no way to convince them otherwise. I also had a forty minute drive (no bus system) to get to the WIC office. I was not offered classes on how to make things like homemade mac-n-cheese, but I must admit if I was told I MUST attend a class on this today, I would likely be kinda' pissy. I had something similar happen to me when I applied for and received food stamps from Indiana just before we moved to WA (just before our foreclosure two years ago). I had a decent job teaching for the local community college lined up (I had two masters degrees but four children at home); the department of welfare still listed me as unemployed because the job didn't begin for a couple of months and made me attend a lame-ass how-to-find-a-job class in which I had to record my hours spent job-searching, interviewing, etc. and turn in my recorded hours as proof of my effort. I had to spend my time in a course on how to create a resume, knowing I could have taught the class. The degradation that can bubble up in these otherwise very helpful programs is a tricky thing. There is huge danger in assuming people with needs are always in need of intelligence and know-how. :(
ReplyDeleteGeez, I feel pretty lucky. I have had nothing but great experiences at WIC. In Montana and Washington. The biggest problem I ever had was that the rules kept changing as to what I could get. And yes, we still have a cupboard full of instant oatmeal. Towards the end I didn't bother getting stuff like cereal, because my kids didn't like it. I did love that within the last few years they allowed you to get fresh fruits and veggies (not just during the summer at Farmer's Market, which coupons I got both here and in MT on different occasions). I know that when I looked into TANF when we would have qualified, I couldn't do it because you had to attend a bunch of shit that I couldn't attend because I actually was working full-time. There are definitely a lot of assumptions inherent in the public assistance system.
DeleteI had a fairly poor experience with WIC, to be honest. I mean, I absolutely appreciated being able to get the food, no question, but the office I had to go to had a staff that definitely did not leave me feeling respected as a parent.
ReplyDeleteFor one thing, they assumed that because I was poor, that I must be stupid. Or that I would have no idea how to cook anything. It's the assumption that irked me -- looking at me like "Oh, you THINK you know, but listen..." I can make my own bread, ladies. I can roast these WIC-bought carrots perhaps better than your grandma, so STEP OFF.
It's just the blanket application of whatever system they have in place, regardless of the specific client, that really made it a chore to sit through.
Another thing - Once we came directly from a well-child checkup with our infant daughter to our WIC meeting. She had just been weighed and measured by medical professionals, and we watched them, so we knew the numbers. The person we met with at the WIC office weighed and measured our daughter, but the height was incorrect by a few inches. We said so. The woman actually said, "Well, sometimes they don't get it right." I'm sorry? You know better? Really?
There were a lot of other little things that really bothered me so when we felt like we were in a position that we could get by without it, we did.
I wish when I used it that we were able to get the fresh produce (beyond the carrots) outside of the Farmer's Market, but it's nice that they had the Farmer's Market thing at all.
I am sure it really depends on the staff at the office you have to go to, and overall it is a good program, but it could have gone better for me.
Thanks for sharing, Sara! Staff and attitude make a huge difference. They need to support parents, not judge them. People who view their WIC clients as "less than" probably need to find a different line of work.
ReplyDeleteWord. And the office I went to could be different now, as it was around 5 years ago.
ReplyDeleteBut it's sort of sad that whenever I've had to go into any sort of public assistance meeting that I've braced myself for that attitude and end up being surprised when I get someone who is pleasant. Should probably be the other way around!
I hated being on WIC. I hate the voucher system, cashiers hated waiting on me because it was time consuming and confusing. I'm a college educated, teacher for crying out loud, staying home with my kids, living modestly off my husbands Salary. The people at the wic office treated me like I was some second class citizen and got all up in arms when I told them we don't feed our two year old cows milk (um... loads of research shows it is NOT healthy for humans to drink COWS MILK and there are many healthy alternatives to ensure proper fat/nutrition.) but no, I was a "dumb" un-educated mother for not giving my kid dairy (at least that was the assumption. It's funny because in a lot of ways I knew more/had more education than the wic "counselor") but, because I was getting the service because of low-income, it was again assumed that we were some how living in poverty, Un-educated and un-able to properly feed our children. Couldn't be further from the truth. I'm currently looking to go back on WIC because my 5 month old needs special formula, I've been exclusively breast-feeding for 5 months, but he failed to gain last month, my supply has gone down (it's been a struggle to keep it up) and the formula is like $27.00 a can... now I only need to supplement a little but I'm sure the WIC people will talk about it and make me feel like it's a "Choice" and if i would only get in-touch with their peer counselor I would have better success. I'm sure I will be lectured about the benefits of breast-feeding, as if I'm purposefully not producing enough milk, like I haven't been pumping, and taking supplements and doing everything in my power to make more to sustain my baby. I'm not looking forward to dealing with WIC again, but, I will do what I need to, in order to help with the cost of formula for my baby. ugh.
ReplyDelete