Dec. 30, 2020
Contact: Doug Bolnick, Public Information Officer, 636-949-7408
ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MO – The St. Charles County Department of Public Health’s Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) has extended its contract with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to continue the program through 2021. WIC is a supplemental nutrition program that provides pregnant women, new mothers, infants and children up to their fifth birthday with health screening, risk assessment, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support and referrals to health care. In addition, the service offers supplemental food at no cost to qualified participants.
To qualify, St. Charles County WIC participants must meet income guidelines, be a Missouri resident and be at “nutritional risk” as determined by a health professional. Income eligibility guidelines are based on gross household income.
“Families that may not have been eligible for WIC services previously may now qualify because of a job loss or a cut in hours worked,” said Eva Obirek, St. Charles County WIC Program Manager. “Those who may be in this situation right now are encouraged to reach out to our staff for assistance. Research shows that WIC participation improves the health of mothers and their children.”
Staff will continue to provide services remotely — through phone/email communication, digital correspondence, mail delivery and drop-off collections — during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During this unprecedented event, many are finding it difficult to provide for their family,” Obirek added. “WIC helps to give growing families a healthy start. While we’ve changed how we deliver our service to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses, our families will continue to receive proper nutrition and guidance they’ll need throughout the coming year.”
For questions about these service changes in St. Charles County or joining the program, please email wichealth@sccmo.org or call 636-949-7402. For information about the services WIC provide, visit sccmo.org/WIC.
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About St. Charles County WIC
Funded and administered at the federal level through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and managed at the state level by Missouri’s Bureau of Nutrition Services and WIC, St. Charles County’s program operates through the Division of Health Services within the Department of Public Health. In accordance with federal law and USDA policy, the St. Charles County Department of Public Health is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
About the St. Charles County Division of Health Services
The Division of Health Services’ mission is to promote healthy choices and improve the health of the community. To achieve these goals, program services include an Immunization Clinic for children and adults; nutrition education and supplemental food services for women, infants and children; chronic disease screening and prevention; Communicable Disease reporting and investigation; educational programming; the collection and distribution of birth and death certificates; assistance in applications for U.S. passports; and more. For information on programs offered, visit sccmo.org/HealthServices or call 636-949-7400.