A change for families getting food through the state Women's, Infants and Children Nutrition program known as "WIC".
The program is for families at 185 percent of poverty or below to purchase nutritious food.
WIC Director Patti Hauser says in the past all the benefits were distributed via paper. Starting soon, WIC recipients will be getting Electronic Benefit Transfer cards, similar to a debit card. When checking out at the store, they swipe the card through a reader. She says this change will help keep better control on benefits...
".....so the store knows exactly what foods are allowed. The store also has access to what foods are on that individual's food prescription..."
The cards will be given out at the office where the WIC program is administered in a given area. Hauser says it's much faster than the current system.
More information is available at the state Department of Health Services website or the county health departments.
