FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: October 27, 2023
ST. LOUIS, MO – Family Care Health Centers announces a contract continuance to provide WIC services for federal fiscal year 2024 has been signed with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is a special supplemental nutrition program providing services to pregnant women, new mothers, infants and children up to their 5th birthday based on nutritional risk and income eligibility. The primary services provided are healthy, supplemental food, risk assessment, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding promotion and support, health screening and referrals to health care. To be eligible for WIC, applicants must have an income of less than or equal to 185% of the poverty level ($55,500 annually for a family of four) and be at nutritional risk. Migrant families are also eligible.
WIC supplemental food packages are specially chosen to provide foods high in protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C. Eligible women and children receive fortified milk and cheese, eggs, whole grain bread products, hot or cold cereals, 100% fruit juices, and fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. The WIC program recommends breastfeeding, provides breastfeeding support, baby foods, and infant cereal. For women who cannot or choose not to breastfeed, infants may receive supplemental, iron fortified formula. WIC participants use eWIC cards to obtain specific food items at participating local grocery stores and pharmacies.
By improving the diets of low income women, infants and children and providing breastfeeding support, the WIC program at Family Care Health Centers improves the health status of a vulnerable population during critical periods of growth. Studies confirm that pregnant women who enroll in WIC during the early months of pregnancy have fewer low birth weight babies, experience fewer infant deaths and establish prenatal care earlier in pregnancy.
There are several agencies providing WIC services in the metropolitan area. Eligible participants from St. Louis City or neighboring counties may enroll or transfer to the WIC agency of their choice. Family Care Health Centers are located at 401 Holly Hills Ave, 63111, in the Carondelet community, and 4352 Manchester, 63110, in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood. Persons interested or in need of more information should contact Family Care Health Centers at 314-353-5190 (Carondelet location) or 314-531-5444 (Forest Park Southeast location).
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
email: [email protected]
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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About Family Care Health Centers
Family Care Health Centers (FCHC) is a non-profit community health center dedicated to providing affordable and accessible comprehensive primary health care services to the residents of St. Louis and the surrounding communities. For over 50 years, FCHC has been committed to offering a full range of services, equalizing the accessibility of quality healthcare to our hometown community members. FCHC can be found online at www.fchcstl.org, Facebook at facebook.com/FCHCstl, and LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/family-care-health-centers.
