There is an exciting new development in the New York State (NYS) Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program called eWIC. With eWIC, benefits are now provided electronically, making shopping with WIC easier and more convenient.

Anyone who has shopped with WIC paper checks will appreciate the convenience of eWIC. WIC benefits are loaded onto the eWIC card at the WIC clinic appointment. The eWIC card is used just like a debit card at the grocery store, letting participants buy food when it works best for them rather than all at once.

Another benefit of eWIC is a new app called WIC2Go that lets participants check their WIC benefit balance right from their phone. This app also allows participants to scan foods to see if they are WIC-approved, look up WIC-approved stores and local WIC clinics, and see their next WIC appointment.

WIC may be able to help those who are pregnant, a new mom or have children under age 5, or are fathers, grandparents or caregivers of children under age 5. WIC provides nutritious food, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and referrals to other services.

In our community, there are many families who are eligible for WIC but not participating. Applying is easy and so is using the eWIC card!

To learn more about WIC eligibility, contact the local WIC Help Specialist. WIC Help Specialists provide one-on-one services to help connect eligible pregnant women and families with young children to WIC. These services are free and confidential. For more info, call 315-705-3859.

Emily McClure

WIC help specialist