April is Global Child Nutrition Month, and the Henry and Stark County Health Department is spotlighting the benefits of the WIC Supplemental Food Program. WIC supports local mothers and children by providing free groceries and promoting healthier eating habits. Families in Henry, Stark, Marshall, and Putnam counties can now access services through in-person appointments, with an easy online application also available. The program recently introduced the Illinois WIC EBT Card, streamlining food benefits onto a single, convenient card. Expanded hours now better accommodate working families. WIC provides milk, formula, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and more to eligible participants.
Heather Aldred, RN, Maternal and Child Health Services Supervisor with the Health Department, states, “Henry, Stark, Marshall and Putnam County residents have fully returned to only in-person “Face to Face” appointments and services delivery. We do, however, still offer an online application feature to the program. We are thrilled to once again have the chance to offer these important and vital family services directly to our participants. In addition, we remind those who may be interested in taking advantage of all that WIC offers, that the New Illinois WIC EBT Card is available to all WIC participants! This makes WIC Services even more easy for area families to use.”
Aldred adds, “All current WIC participants and households are now issued just one Illinois WIC EBT Card with all the food benefits on this one card; no more handling multiple checks for different members of your family. The WIC process remains the same, benefits are reloaded on your card every three months after contacting and checking in with our WIC Staff.”
For more information on the department’s WIC and case management services, call the department at 309-852-5272 (Kewanee) or 309-792-4011 (Colona) or apply at https://www.henrystarkhealth.com/FormCenter/WIC-10/WIC-Application-Form-65. For more information, you can also visit www.fns.usda.gov/wic.
