WIC

==Background==
==Links==
* Low-income children cut from food program, June 22, 2006, by Joe Fahy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
:Thousands of low-income Pennsylvania families with young children will receive less help this summer from a government program that allows them to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from farmers' markets. State officials said cuts in federal funding have prompted them to eliminate children younger than 4 from participating in the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program. At least 40,000 children eligible for the program are affected, said Barry Shutt, director of food distribution for the state Department of Agriculture.
:The change means families who qualify for a program known as WIC, which provides assistance to low-income pregnant women, new mothers and their children, will be able to purchase less food through the farmers' market program."
==Insights==
===Letters to the editor, 06/26/06===
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Cut program that feeds kids fruits and veggies? Insane!
I did not have firsthand knowledge of the WIC program until recently, when family members became recipients of this worthwhile federally funded program. Providing milk, cheese, cereal, eggs, and formula for mothers, infants and young children who may otherwise not have enough nourishment is a wonderful thing. And, vouchers for fruits and vegetables from the local farmers' markets is another great benefit for these low-income individuals.
So, imagine my concern, frustration and outright anger when I read the June 22 article "Low-income Children Cut from Food Program," reporting that the state's Farmers' Market Nutrition Program vouchers for 2- and 3- year old children were being eliminated due to federal funding issues.
What? Wasn't the food pyramid recently revised indicating that to be healthy we should all consume five servings of fruits and vegetables daily? Then why would anyone cut the funding for a program that attempts to ensure healthy children? Funding cuts while legislators get "fat" with self-approved pay increases -- what is wrong with this picture?
How sad. I am truly ashamed of my government, both at the local and at the federal level.
Bernice Nylander, West Mifflin
category:wellness