"We are mandated to tell every women the benefits of breastfeeding...we have
women complaining that WIC are "pressuring" them to ...it has been that they
are receiving more information than [they] want to hear...."

Yes.  WIC is an education AND food resource.  The clients receive the
undisputed benefit of accurate information, along with their food vouchers.
WIC is required by law to offer basic nutrition information, such as the
benefits of eating vegetables.  

One does not hear the complaint that WIC is pressuring women and children to
eat their vegetables, but this is parallel to the claim that providing
factual information about infant feeding "pressures" women to breastfeed.
Even if WIC staff were mandated to hand over vouchers for Cheetos deep fried
cheese-flavored puffs to women who didn't "believe" in carrots, they
couldn't do so without informing them of the potential consequences of
making this substitution.

Some clients would prefer to receive free food without education, but the
program is designed to empower through knowledge. My experience has been
that those WIC staffers I have observed do impart knowledge with respect,
tailoring the information to the individual to make it as accessible and
attractive as possible.  WIC clients who are interested in improving their
health by increasing their knowledge benefit.  Those who disregard the
opportunity are done no harm by its having been offered.

There are likely to be, somewhere in this vast nation, WIC staff members who
are out of touch with some or all of their clientele, and of a certainty
there are many clients who have "issues" that create barriers to learning.
For some clients it's not a teachable moment; for others it's not a
teachable year or decade or lifetime.  They aren't ready.  But overall, the
program is a good one, and I have high hopes for rapid and continued
improvement.  (In fact, if any federal WIC administrators are monitoring
this list, please email me at [log in to unmask] ).

The program cannot be redesigned to withhold information from everyone in
order to avoid offending those who just want the food.  It would not be
possible to continue the WIC program without providing nutrition and food
safety information.  


Arly Helm, MS, IBCLC

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