The WIC Program in Gaston County provides access to nutritious foods, information on healthy eating, including breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to health care and community resources for moms-to-be, new moms, and families with young children.

The WIC Program in Gaston County serves to safeguard the health of low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk.

WIC provides quality, cost-effective care to thousands of families across North Carolina. Evidence demonstrates that women who participate in WIC have improved pregnancy outcomes, resulting in healthier babies. There are numerous benefits to women, infants and children who participate in WIC. Studies show that: 

• WIC reduces infant mortality: WIC connects pregnant women to prenatal care, provides nutritious foods and encourages health-promoting behaviors. These factors are linked to positive birth outcomes (USDA, 2012). 

• WIC saves public health care dollars: women who participate in WIC are less likely to have pre-term or low-birth weight babies, contributing to healthier babies and reduced medical costs (Institute of Medicine, 2006). 

• WIC improves children’s health: children who participate in WIC are more likely to receive regular preventive health services and are better immunized than other low-income children who do not participate in WIC (USDA, 2012). 

• WIC improves infant feeding practices and diet quality: WIC promotes and supports breastfeeding as the optimal infant feeding choice. In addition, revisions to the WIC Food Package have resulted in increased intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy among WIC participants (USDA, 2012; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2015). 

• WIC supports cognitive development: research shows that WIC services can mitigate the harmful effects of poor nutrition during critical periods of growth and development, leading to lifelong cognitive gains (USDA, 2012). 

• WIC enhances community food environments: revisions to the WIC Food Package, and thus changes in the foods available at WIC-authorized stores, have increased the availability of healthy foods for all individuals living in low-income communities (USDA, 2015). 

Reference: My WIC | NCDHHS ;  Women, Infants, and Children | Gaston County, NC (gastongov.com)

WIC's caseload has increased to 5,303 as of November 2024. They continue to operate "WIC at the library", three times per month. WIC is partnering with CaroMont on a breastfeeding initiative aimed to increase exclusively breastfeeding rates at hospital discharge.