TrueCare WIC has been promoting better nutrition for 50 years
In 2024, the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC Special Supplemental Nutrition Program) marked its 50th anniversary as a crucial safety net providing nutritional support to women and children. As of 2023, the federally funded program served 6.6 million participants each month, including an estimated 39 percent of all infants in the United States.
TrueCare WIC has proudly been part of WIC history in North County San Diego since its inception in 1974 and helps low to medium-income pregnant women, new mothers, and children up to age five eat well, stay active, and maintain their health – all at no cost to the participants.
We recognized early on the benefits that WIC services could offer participants. With Congressional support, TrueCare evolved into a permanent local WIC agency. Today, we serve nearly 11,000 participants monthly through six offices in Encinitas, Escondido, Oceanside, Ramona, San Marcos, and Valley Center.
TrueCare believes it is necessary to raise awareness about the importance of the WIC program and breast milk as a critical first food for newborns. According to the National Library of Medicine, “breast milk is uniquely suited to the human infant’s nutritional needs and is a live substance with unparalleled immunological and anti-inflammatory properties that protect against a host of illnesses and diseases for both mothers and children.”
It is important to recognize that breastfeeding is a natural but learned skill and that a significant percentage of moms who breastfeed need help and support to be successful. This includes access to breastfeeding support and education, breast pumps, lactation consultations by International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants, nutrition assessments, and healthy living advice from registered dietitians and other staff who specialize in nutrition for mothers and their children. In 2004, the USDA launched the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Initiative to provide peer support and counseling from experienced breastfeeding mothers to new moms. TrueCare WIC received Breastfeeding Peer Counseling funds in 2010, and the program continues to flourish
TrueCare WIC has been making breastfeeding a real option for families for decades, setting moms, babies, and families on a path to good nutrition. In addition to the peer counseling programs, WIC offers support groups, working in conjunction with women’s health specialists and pediatricians to integrate breastfeeding for improved health outcomes. To help WIC participants succeed, they are equipped with a variety of essential services, including monthly food benefits to purchase nutritious food items, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, milk, eggs, and bread. WIC has also enhanced its food packages to include culturally sensitive substitutes, with additional foods for mothers who exclusively breastfeed.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, improved health outcomes from WIC participation include full-term pregnancies, fewer premature births, lower incidence of moderately low and very low birth weight infants, fewer infant deaths, a greater likelihood of receiving prenatal care, and savings in health care costs from $1.77 to $3.13 within the first 60 days after birth.
Studies also consistently show that in addition to WIC participation leading to better health outcomes, WIC participants also have lower incidences of low-iron anemia.
Today, TrueCare WIC is recognized for our best practices in California and nationally Our breastfeeding programs, lactation services, and innovative cross-departmental integrative processes have significantly increased access to health care and other social services for WIC participants.
As WIC celebrates its remarkable 50-year legacy, TrueCare WIC is grateful for our talented and dedicated staff and collaborative partnerships with TrueCare providers. We look forward to continuing this vital work for another 50 years and beyond!