As the holiday season approaches, the Women, Infants, and Children Program in El Dorado County offers support to families. Run by the California Department of Public Health and the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency, the program helps provide healthy food to families in need.
The Women, Infants, and Children program helps families with young children manage nutrition and budget, especially during the holidays. Juliet Barwis, supervisor of El Dorado County Women, Infants, and Children, said the program helps families learn about nutrition while keeping costs low. "WIC offers families the resources to meet important nutritional needs while being mindful of a limited budget," Barwis said, according to the El Dorado County. Women, Infants, and Children provides nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and cash benefits for healthy foods, including up to $78 per month for fruits and vegetables, depending on the participant's needs.
The El Dorado County Women, Infants, and Children program is easy to access. Staff can meet with families in person or by phone. "Our WIC staff can meet with families in the Placerville and South Lake Tahoe Health and Human Services Agency office locations or over the phone," Barwis said. To qualify, applicants must be pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding, or caring for a child under five with low to medium income, or be receiving Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, or CalFresh benefits. Grandparents, foster parents, and other caregivers of eligible children can also apply. For more information or to check eligibility, visit MyFamily.WIC.ca.gov or call (530) 621-6176 for Western Slope or (530) 573-3491 for South Lake Tahoe.
