CANTON -- New income guidelines are in effect that make more families eligible for the nutritious food that the WIC program provides.

Many working families qualify for the program, but may not realize they are eligible. Many military families are also eligible to receive WIC foods. Pregnant women, breast feeding mothers, infants, and children up to age 5 who meet financial guidelines may be eligible to receive vouchers for WIC foods valued at over $100 per month per person.

Under the new guidelines, a family of four, with a gross annual income of just over $42,643, now qualifies for WIC.

WIC vouchers allow families to purchase nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables, eggs, cheese, cereal, milk, juice, and peanut butter to supplement their diets. Formula, cereal and juice are also available for infants.

WIC helps parents to feed their children nutritious foods during their critical early years and helps children grow up strong and healthy.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides nutrition education, breast feeding support, and nutritious foods to more than 17,000 women, infants and children across the North Country.

WIC is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the New York State Department of Health, and is overseen locally by North Country Children’s Clinic.

More info: www.childrens-clinic.org or call North Country Children’s Clinic’s WIC office in Canton at 386-8128.