I am assuming that CA is similar to Oregon in WIC qualification.  In our WIC
clinic parents are given a choice (I admit we generally encourage it) about
giving a finger stick to the child.  If they choose not to, we inform them
that this will reduce the (long) list of qualifying factors by one factor.
If they had no other qualifying factor then the parent may choose to do the
test. The majority of parents do the test.   We are also not in the business
of "diagnosing" anything.  If a child had a low hgb by WIC standards then we
would refer them to their physician for further care.  Not getting a
hemoglobin or hematocrit does not exclude a person from the WIC program and
our staff wouldn't probably wouldn't address breastfeeding unless that's all
they were doing.

Kris Runyon
WIC Nutrition Educator
Rainy, Dreary Corvallis, OR