WIC

RALEIGH — About 1.2 million North Carolinians, or nearly 11% of the state’s population, don’t know where their next meal is coming from. To ensure North Carolina children, families and older adults have enough food and good nutrition, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today released the NCDHHS State Action Plan for Nutrition Security. This plan is part of the department’s larger strategic goal to support child and family well-being.

Some families, especially those that did not file taxes, may not have gotten any or all of the funds that they were entitled to from last year’s child tax credit. The last day to apply for these funds is November 15th.

With food prices rising, more North Carolina families with young children are using benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to access healthy, nutritious food.

Families participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) can now use their benefits for a much wider variety of brands and types of infant formula, helping them access the formula available in stores during national shortages when Gerber products are not available. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has temporarily made 55 additional formula products available to WIC recipients today as part of its efforts to support families during the shortage. This is in addition to the eight options added last week for different sizes and types of Gerber products.

Amid infant formula shortages across the country, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is connecting families with resources and sharing recommendations to help safely navigate supply issues.