By Jennifer Ng'andu, Deputy Director, Health Policy Project
Stop Extreme Cuts to the WIC Program
The Latino community’s access to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children, is under immediate threat. The House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee has voted to cut WIC funding by nearly $650 million, which will result in up to 350,000 mothers, infants, and children falling off the program. Given that Latinos make up two-fifths (42%) of all program participants, the Hispanic community is expected to be among the hardest hit.
WIC has been an essential nutrition assistance program for Latinos and has long been proven to prevent many of the costly conditions that result from hunger and malnutrition. In fact, nearly nine out of ten Latino infants born in the United States participated in WIC in 2008. This program has been especially important for Hispanic expectant mothers, who are less likely to have access to prenatal care and medical information.
Hispanic families became the hungriest families in 2008, and Latino children now make up nearly 40% of all children living with hunger in the U.S. The last thing we need is to take food out of the mouths of vulnerable mothers, babies, and young children.
The full House will have a chance to reject these cuts.
Tell your member of Congress to save our babies and reject harmful cuts to the WIC program.