WIC Program Enters 40th Year
(May 7, 2018 ) In 1978, the Town of East Hartford entered into an agreement with the State Department of Public Health to administer the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Since then, the agency has expanded its multi-town service area and dramatically increased the number of people it serves to nearly 4,000.
WIC is a regional, federally funded health care program. The Town of East Hartford has administered the agency for the past 40 years. WIC provides supplemental foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion, and ensures the provision of medical insurance and immunizations to several thousand low-income families in a 19-town* eastern Connecticut area. Last year, WIC disbursed over 3 million dollars in food benefits and provided maternal and child health assistance through the conduct of nearly 20,000 patient visits. The agency is credited for reducing infant mortality, anemia, obesity and low birth weight babies and for assisting children during their critical stages of growth and development.
“We’re proud to host this wonderful program,” said Mayor Marcia Leclerc. “WIC is a major health and human services hub agency. When economically disadvantaged families come through our doors to apply for WIC, they are also referred to assistance programs that may include medical insurance coverage, East Hartford’s InterCommunity or First Choice community health centers, the emergency food bank system, SNAP or Project Head Start,” she said.
Regional WIC Director Patty Mascoli said, “WIC is a long-term investment program where we do everything possible to ensure that kids live happy, healthy and productive lives.”
WIC serves pregnant and breast feeding women, infants and children under the age of five. Participants are provided electronic benefits cards to purchase infant formula, milk, cereal, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, beans, juice and certain vegetables. Applicants are enrolled upon meeting federal income eligibility guidelines and upon the determination of medical or nutritional risk by their physician or clinic practitioner. To inquire about program eligibility and satellite locations, contact WIC at 860-528-1458 #1. For additional information, please contact Regional WIC Director Patty Mascoli at (860) 291-7192.
WIC’s hours of operation are as follows: Monday-8:00 am-4:30 pm, Tuesday- 7:00am-6:00 pm, Wednesday 7:30am-4:30 pm, Thursday 7:30am-4:30 pm, Friday 8:00am-4:30pm, and one Saturday a month 8:00am-11:30am.
*The East Hartford Health Department-hosted WIC Program service area includes the Towns of Andover, Bolton, Colchester, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Glastonbury, Hebron, Manchester, Marlborough, Somers, South Windsor, Stafford Springs, Suffield, Tolland, Vernon and Windsor Locks.