Dear Lactnet friends 

Nikki accuses the WIC program of accepting "kickbacks" from the formula industry 
for the formula it "gives away".

She further implies that the program is funded by these kickbacks and she 
wonders how programs who are successful in their breastfeeding efforts survive 
without these kickback funds. 

she goes on to say: " In other words, the more formula WIC distributes, the more 
services WIC can provide."

The silent accusation I hear is that WIC may only be half heartedly promoting 
breastfeeding otherwise they would cease to exist. 


I would like to clarify that the WIC program is funded by the taxpayers not the 
formula industry. WIC does not "give away" formula. Mr. & Mrs. tax payer pay for 
it. WIC uses taxpayer finds to purchase formula from stores in the form of 
vouchers given to the mother. WIC then needs to pay the store for fulfilling the 
voucher. The contracted formula manufacture gives WIC a rebate (a portion paid 
by WIC comes back to WIC) on the formula purchased by WIC dollars. These rebate 
funds do not fund the program, but reduce the amount paid for a particular brand 
(the contracted brand) of formula. The more WIC dollars that go to purchase 
formula  the less money WIC has to spend on other foods for mothers and 
children. There are no incentives to give ever increasing amounts of formula 
since WIC does not get "extra" money for suppling formula. 


I think this is a big difference!
You can read more about it here: 
 http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/err22/err22e.pdf

We all know there are women who can not or will not breastfeed, the formula WIC 
provides helps ensure that babies will be fed a more nutritious food than 
straight cow's milk or orange soda. It is my highest hope that as we all work 
together to change the way that hospitals, work places and society supports 
breastfeeding that more and more women, including the low income women that WIC 
serves, would feel more supported and able to breastfeed. Could you imagine a 
world where there are so many breastfeeding that the surplus could be used by 
those women unable to breastfeed? 

Heidi DiBacco
IBCLC in WIC, who would be very happy to work myself out of a job.

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