CONCORD, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) Division of Public Health Services, (DPHS) is pleased to announce that families participating in the NH Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program will see a temporary increase in benefits for purchasing fruits and vegetables during summer months. The enhanced benefits are provided by the US Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children to ensure children and families in NH have greater access to healthy food sources this summer.
The program typically allocates a monthly stipend of $9/child and $11/mother for the purchase of fruits and vegetables. Through Section 1105 of the American Rescue Plan, this allocation will increase to $35 per-person each month from June through September, exclusively for families enrolled in WIC. These additional funds will allow WIC participants to purchase more fresh, canned, and frozen fruits and vegetables through 158 participating vendors across the state.
The stipend will automatically be added to the eWIC benefit card; no additional enrollment is necessary for women and families participating in WIC.
WIC clinics provide nutrition and breastfeeding education and support, healthy foods and referrals to healthcare and social services through one-on-one and group appointments. Clinics are available throughout the state to serve families, especially pregnant women, new mothers, infants and preschool children. To qualify for WIC, a family must be income eligible, reside in New Hampshire and be one of the categories served: pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding or children under age five. Families with a low to medium income and those who are part of other programs such as foster care, NH Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families are automatically eligible. Currently, WIC serves about 14,200 individuals across New Hampshire.
For information and a pre-screening tool for WIC, visit https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/nhp/wic/. To find a WIC clinic near you or to sign up, visit https://www.signupwic.com/.
