WIC Program Explained, Endorsed

I wish to express my appreciation to The Times for bringing to the attention of the reading public the issues facing the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental Food Program. I would also like to clarify a statement which may inadvertently cause some WIC eligible clients to think that they may be denied services that the program is committed to provide.

The local program is under mandate from the state to reduce its overall service level to the contracted number of clients served per month: 19,400. To accomplish this, staff is currently disqualifying all children as they reach the end of their certification period.

After removing all children over 12 months of age from the WIC program, we still expect to be serving more clients than the contract allows. Therefore, some infants who apply for WIC benefits are currently not being enrolled. However, I wish to emphasize that infants currently receiving WIC services will not be disqualified until the month after they reach their first birthday. And, as always, pregnant women are highest priority for service and the program continues to enroll them as soon as appointments are available.

MICHELE Y. VAN EYKEN, WIC Program Coordinator, Orange County Health Care Agency