$1.3 million dollars was spent on food in Coos County grocery stores for 3,008 WIC participants in 2007, plus an additional $5,980 at farmers' markets. The money goes for specifically chosen foods, such as milk, eggs, cereal, infant formula, and fruits and vegetables that will help to improve the diets of new mothers and their children. WIC is the premier public health nutrition program nationwide. One out of 3 children under the age of 5 receive WIC services at some time during their childhood. In Coos County, 55% of women who gave birth in 2007 were served by WIC. In addition to providing free foods, WIC serves include individual growth and health assessments and education on nutrition, physical activity, and breast feeding.
Who pays for WIC? The federal government, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides money for WIC to Oregon's Department of Human Services, which pays for the food, and passes money to the local programs to pay for the operation of the program (staff and supplies). The federal money is not enough to cover the cost of the local programs, however, and many county health departments in Oregon have had to supplement the federal funds with local dollars. In Coos County, local government funds are in short supply, and the loss of the federal timber payments has created a deficit for the WIC program. In order to maintain services to needy families, the Coos County Friends of Public Health is soliciting donations for WIC in the Coins for Coos Kids Campaign. Contributions will help to assure that families will continue to get WIC at a very important time in their lives, when adequate nutrition can affect a baby's health for a lifetime.
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A new resource being use to improve kid’s nutritional status is a new book “The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond.” Out only a few months and already being bought in quantity for class use. I hope parents and teachers interested in getting kids to develop a friendly attitude towards fruits and vegetables should take a look at it.
It is designed for kids of all ages as it is two books in one – children first learn their alphabet through produce poems and then go on to hundreds of related activities. Coauthored by best-selling food writer David Goldbeck and Jim Henson writer Steve Charney. More at HealthyHighways.com
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