WIC...Who do you think of????

[glo]

Just like any program for assistance, there are always going to be those who abuse the system and take what does not belong to them. The thing is that this program does so much good to so many families and people who truely need it. I think it is a great program, and like someone said earlier on this thread, you just never know when you yourself may need it....

 

[Tuffcookie]

Pembo, I was on WIC. The ex had walked out on me 2 mos before youngest DS was born. I had just filed for divorce and I was working. I never had to go on welfare but I applied for WIC. In those early days of singleness every little bit helped.

TC

 

[minniepumpernickel]

I just read an article about a woman on medicaid. She's 27, single, and she works as a free lance writer. She is also college educated, waitresses, and walks dogs for spare money. She had no health insurance, and she found a breast lump. So she applied for medicaid to cover the cost of removing the lump, 10, 000 dollars. It was an excellent article!

 

[MosMom]

WIC also provides breastfeeding moms with enough nutrition to keep her healthy while breastfeeding. So they support breastfeeding as well as formula feeding. Just a FYI.

I'm thankful that we don't need to use WIC but if we did, I'd do whatever to make sure my baby was getting the proper nutrition.

 

[Nancy]

WIC is a great program..I work in a supermarket and see all types on it. we had a man who was sending his 4 kids to Catholic school and was on WIC . His being on WIC probably helped him afford the tuition. The income level is much higher than foodstamps or public assistance of any kind. We have also had the Mom's that work in our store on WIC. Yep, it's a pain in the you know what for the cashiers, but if it insures that pregnant Mom's, their babies and their kids get goos nutritional food for awhile then I'm not going to complain. Hopefully in the coming months our registers will be programed to not allow food that isn;t WIC acceptable to go through..that would save us so much time, and then the customers who swear that we are lying to them about what they could buy would stop yelling at us.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by Nancy
Hopefully in the coming months our registers will be programed to not allow food that isn;t WIC acceptable to go through..that would save us so much time, and then the customers who swear that we are lying to them about what they could buy would stop yelling at us.

During the time period I used them, the vouchers had what you could buy as well as the brand names on the back. They don't do that any more? I remember formula being a pain in the neck because what they allowed wasn't what the pediatrician wanted my son to have.

 

[Robinrs]

I was on WIC.

My ex was diagnosed schizophrenic when I was pregnant. I call myself an "involuntary single Mom". I was all of a sudden alone with a child on a non paid maternity leave with a mortgage, car note and insurance payments like you wouldn't believe. My son was also born with jaundice and his father spent his insurance payments that I paid up front for....

His aunt worked for WIC at the time. I had never heard of it before then. She filled out my paperwork and got me on it. Without it I would've been lost. Up till then I was a middle class working woman with an excellent job and yes, a very nice car. I was able to qualify because of at the time I was making NO money. I kept him on it for 6 months.

WIC taught me so much about nutrition, the general health of children and how to throw away my pride.

About a month ago, a temp who helped out at the radio station, a very sweet girl who escaped an abusive marriage with a 4yo and a 4 month old, told me in confidence that she had to sign up for WIC. I sat there behind my big desk in my corner office and told her that I had been on it. I thought she was going to faint!

I don't think people picture me as a WIC person, but I was and it is nothing to be ashamed of. What happened to me could happen to anybody and my child should not suffer because of it.

 

[jocnanny]

I also work in a grocery store. Yes, sometimes it is a pain for the cashiers, but IMHO it's one the best programs out there. My DD became pregnant in her last year of high school. I advised her to sign up for this program. It helped her beyond belief with the cost of formula which is totally outragous in price. Her father and I have good paying jobs, so we weren't sure if she would even qualify,again no problems. She was and still is covered by our health insurance but also qualified for another state program called P-cap which took care of any other medical expenses not covered as well as the baby's care. She was somewhat bothered by the fact it's kind of a public assistance program, but I explained to her she was doing everything to ensure a healthy, beautiful baby. She stayed on the WIC program for about a year until she began working full time. I wish I had known of WIC when my kids were born, I would not hesitate one second to have used it. Is there abuse of the program? Yes, but someone is always going to find a way to abuse a program whether it be food stamps, heap or medicaid.

 

[mamajoan]

a man who was sending his 4 kids to Catholic school and was on WIC . His being on WIC probably helped him afford the tuition.

Ok does this bother anyone besides me? I really don't think that is a justified reason to be on WIC... SO HE CAN SEND HIS KIDS TO PRIVATE SCHOOL!!!! Nope I do not think he should be using WIC..

 

[disykat]

It bothers me -but I'm sure that doesn't surprise anyone.

 

[WDW2002]

A women/family on WIC is the single mother, the teenage mother, the SAHM, the working mother, low-income, middle-income. I do not think there is a way to describe the family/mother because they are not one type of person.

I think many people have the wrong ideas about both WIC & in some cases food stamps. IMO WIC is a wonderfull program, I was on it for both my pregnancy's, and until my youngest was I think 4. It is not a "low income" programs. Many many families can qualify for it, even those who send their kids to private schools (how do you know they aren't there on a scholorship or if its paid by grandparents?). IMO, if you can qualify for a government aid program then you should use it.

 

[Mermaid02]

Getting ready to be flamed...... I disagree that just because you meet the requirements for a gov't assistance program you should use it. I was single when my dd was born- but her Dad had a good job and gave me child support and I worked on the weekends when he could watch her..... we could do it WITHOUT using WIC or foodstamps... although I am sure I could have qualified. I figured by me not using those programs, there was money for someone who NEEDED them. That's my opinion.

 

[Chattyaholic]

My ex-daughter-in-law was on it when my granddaughter was born. It was a difficult situation as my son was only 17 when she was born (the baby's mother was 19) and it took awhile for them to get their feet under them. She was out on her own, and they decided not to get married until my son graduated, about 9 months after the baby was born. She had her own apartment and worked, but it was still difficult to make ends meet. My son went to school and worked as well and helped with the baby's needs, but WIC was a big help to them.
I have no problem with people who truly NEED the assistance of government programs like that. It's the people who stay on the programs year after year after year, with no intention of trying to better themselves to get OFF of them that I have a problem with!
Another situation comes to mind, when I was a child my Dad worked for General Motors and they went on strike, for weeks...and qualified for food stamps because of it...I didn't agree with that and was so embarrassed to go to the store with my Mom. I feel that if a company's workers CHOOSE to strike, they should not be allowed government benefits!!

 

[disykat]

I also believe that you only utilize programs like that if you need to, not just because you qualify. I am perfectly willing to help those in need, but admit that it bothers me when I'm helping people who have more disposable income than me! If you can afford private schools, nice cars, nice vacations etc. you probably don't "need" WIC. However, since there is no way to know if those luxuries are being paid for by someone else - I try to withhold my "judgement" IRL and keep my complaints to myself. In this case, we were asked for opinions and in the one instance they stated that the man was paying the private schools tuition himself - so I think people are justified in stating their minds.