It is important to have access to enough food during and after pregnancy. It is also important to know what foods are healthy for you and your baby. This will help you stay well and have more positive health outcomes. Below are resources that can help you with maternal and infant nutrition.
Visit the Food for the Family section for more information on food banks and other resources for the whole family.
Virginia WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Program
WIC stands for Women, Infants and Children. WIC helps pregnant women, mothers, infants, and young children stay healthy and eat right during times of important growth. The goal of the program is to improve the health of pregnant women, infants and children (under 5 years). It does so through improving nutrition and access to health care.
The Virginia WIC Program offers several services:
- Provides nutritious foods to qualifying pregnant women, new moms, infants, and children (up to age 5)
- Nutrition education, with personalized assessments, counseling, and support
- Breastfeeding promotion and support
- Referrals to additional social services and healthcare resources
WIC began in 1974. It is a short-term intervention program that encourages positive behaviors. It is designed to influence lifetime nutrition and health behaviors in a high-risk population. The program saves lives and improves the health of nutritionally at-risk women, infants, and children. Studies show that WIC is a successful, cost-effective, nutrition intervention program. It has a reputation as one of the most successful federally-funded nutrition programs in the U.S.
WIC supplemental foods have shown to provide wide ranging benefits, including:
- Longer, safer pregnancies
- Fewer premature births
- Fewer infant deaths
- Improved dietary outcomes for infants and children
- Improved maternal health
- Improved performance at school
WIC participants showed significant savings in healthcare costs when compared to non-participants.