The Child Nutrition Act of 1966 has since formed and developed many programs beneath it to aid those in poverty. The five top producing programs under the Child Nutrition Act in fiscal year 2010 include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the National School Lunch Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the School Breakfast Program. WIC serves 45-50 % of all infants born in the United States (Facing Hunger in America, 2011, para. 3). According to Kowaleski-Jones & Duncan (2002), much of the research on the effects of WIC participation on children has focused on the potential benefits of increased use of prenatal care, increased Medicaid savings, better infant outcomes, and less infant mortality. In addition to the previously stated, WIC’s effectiveness can be supported by the perception of “WIC Works,” (Kowaleski-Jones, & Duncan, 2002). The observation that “WIC works,” is driven by the great deal of research for WIC partakers to birth healthier offspring (Kowaleski-Jones, & Duncan, 2002). For example, each dollar spent on WIC saved the state at least $1.77 to $3.13 in health care costs (Bitler, & Currie, 2004).
According to Public Health Nurse Supervisor Luzette Samargia, of Duluth, Minnesota, WIC is effective and produces positive outcomes (Facing Hunger in America, 2011, para. 11). Luzette manages about 27 public health nurses and 3 dieticians, who as part of their jobs are highly trained to provide WIC health checks, breastfeeding encouragement, nutrition counseling for mothers and their young children, and appropriate WIC food vouchers (Facing Hunger in America, 2011, para. 7). According to Luzette:
WIC has generally not been found to significantly change food patterns of participants or to reduce
References: Bitler, M., & Currie, J. (2004, June). Does wic work? The effects of wic on pregnancy and birth outcomes. Retrieved from http://www.econ.ucla.edu/people/papers/currie/more/prams.pdf Facing Hunger in America National WIC Association. (2011). Advocacy action center. Retrieved from http://www.nwica.org/?q=advocacy/1 National WIC Association National WIC Association. (2011, November). Wic funding: What does sequestration mean for wic’s future? Retrieved from http://www.paramountcommunication.com/nwica/WICSequestration.pdf Neuberger, Z U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2011, March). The food assistance landscape. (Economic Information Bulletin No. 6-8). Washington DC: Economic Research Service. Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/129642/eib6-8.pdf