If the school lunch reduced income chart is the same as the federal
guidelines, then a family of four might qualify with a gross income of
$30,895.(7/1/99 to 6/30/2000).  Sounds about right to me having looked
at those guidelines about a year ago.  WIC is not just for people in
poverty but for the working poor.

Institutions and institutional practices are hard to change.  If we are
disgusted about free ABMs being given out, lets discuss the free cases
of ABMs given out to many mothers.  Mothers don't ask for them but their
name was given to some ABM company to receive it( some " kindly" OBs and
midwifes give manufacturers their client list). The goal in the WIC
Program(or at least in the sites I was involved in)was to make one
breastfeeding contact per pregnant mother enrolled in WIC.  We offered
classes, etc.  These mothers who told us they planned to breastfeed
would come to the site and tell us they weren't bfing.  Why?  Always
problems that happened in the hospital.  For alot of women, it was never
given access to their babies--not being "allowed to touch their
babies."  Being given birth control shots at the hospital after their
infant's birth. Always something, but their babies got their first dose
of ABM in the hospital not at a WIC site.  In fact this often causes
another problem.  The contract ABM may be different than what the
hospital uses.  Meaning the baby must be switched to another brand of
ABM and some infants don't do well being switched.  Thats when I usually
talked about relactation.  I didn't get alot of takers to that idea but
some moms actually made an attempt. What it boils down to is that we all
effect each other.  Changes are needed everwhere not just in WIC.
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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