More eligible SC mothers enrolling in nutrition assistance, says health department

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Over 100,000 South Carolina mothers and children received federal aid in May through a program designed to help them eat and stay healthy, the highest number in seven years.

About 55.2% of eligible residents are part of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program in the Palmetto State, as of the second quarter of 2024. That’s up from 44.5% two years ago, according to the state Department of Public Health.

Berry Kelly, the program’s director, attributes the growth to an “amazing” team coupled with technology, as the state made it easier for parents who are eligible to get and keep the assistance.

“It’s really about convenience for our clients and meeting them where they are,” he said.

The May total of 100,540 participants is the highest in a given month in the Palmetto State since March of 2017. The average monthly number of participants last year was 92,799, according to information from the state’s public health agency.

The WIC program, which in South Carolina is entirely federally funded, provides eligible mothers and children younger than 5 with money to buy nutritious food, education about how to eat healthy, support for breastfeeding, immunization screenings and referrals to other assistance programs. Proper nutrition is important for overall health and for education, Kelly said.

Although the benefit varies from person to person, Kelly estimates eligible households get about $300 a month.

The program covers pregnant women, new and breastfeeding mothers and children under 5 in families that make 185% of the federal poverty level or less. For a family of three, that is $47,767 as of July 1 . People are automatically eligible if they’re enrolled in Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — what’s commonly called food stamps.

Kelly said new tools have helped with outreach, such as offering the nutrition education through online classes. The WIC program now has an online application and a mobile app. And it has moved away from paper checks and vouchers to debit cards.

Kelly also said that partner organizations, from hospitals to Head Start, have been key in bringing more eligible people into the program.

Nationally about 6.7 million people received WIC across the country in September of last year .