Participants in Missouri's Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program from the Department of Health and Senior Services will have slightly greater purchasing power in November and December.
The state's program is expanding the cash value benefit (CVB) for fruits and vegetables for the next two months. The temporary increase comes from federal funds with The Continuing Resolution to Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act.
WIC is a nutritional education program for women, infants and children up to the age of five. In Missouri, the program has 80,000 participants receiving food benefits structured to individual diets. The previous spending limit for fruits and vegetables for children was $9.
"On a limited $9 stipend for the month, it's hard to branch out and try some new fruits and vegetables," Missouri WIC Director Angela Brenner said. "The wider variety of fruits and vegetables is all the more nutrition for our participants."
The increased cash value is only for the fruits and vegetables category. Participants can use the benefits for plain fresh produce or frozen produce, without added sugar. The benefit expansions are increasing to the following:
$24 per month for children
$43 per month for pregnant and postpartum participants
$47 per month for breastfeeding participants
The current limit on CVB purchases for breastfeeding, pregnant and postpartum women is $11. Starting Nov. 1, the 167% to 327% increase on WIC's spending limits will go into effect.
The increase comes after the Continuing Resolution to Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act gave the USDA authority to temporarily increase the CVB. Brenner explained officials are trying to get a more permanent increase from the federal level.
"Right now in Washington D.C., there are lobbyists from the National WIC Association giving input on the usefulness of this additional benefit, and how good it is for our participants," Brenner said. "Originally the limit was nine to $11 and they've portioned it for inflation over the years, and it should be at a higher level by now."
Eligible participants need to contact their local WIC agency to schedule an appointment to load the additional funds on their eWIC card before Nov. 1 to avoid any delays.
Fathers, stepparents, foster parents, grandparents and guardians are also encouraged to apply for WIC benefits for any children in the household under the age of five.
