WIC Studying the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) Program has underlined the importance of 'preventative' medicine, even in the administration of social services not strictly related to healthcare. In recent years, many programs that provide assistance to the indigent have come under fire, because of the federal debt load. However, funding WIC can ultimately reduce costs of social services in the long run. By ensuring that mothers have adequate prenatal care, and that children have nutritional support early on in life, the federal government can save on healthcare and educational costs in the long-term. Eating well as a child is linked to better outcomes in school, and better life outcomes overall. As the costs of living go up, including housing as well as food and fuel costs, programs like WIC are vitally necessary for families struggling to stay intact.

Studying WIC was important on...

Food insecurity is an epidemic amongst the poor. A child who is hungry cannot learn, and a mother who is hungry cannot adequately parent her children or look for meaningful work. Even the burgeoning obesity epidemic has been linked to food insecurity, given the fact that when people are uncertain about gaining access to regular supplies of nutritious food, they often choose to 'stock up' on less nutritious, high-carbohydrate, high-sugar foods that are caloric but do not really provide the type of sustenance needed for a growing child or for a high-quality life. As well as food assistance, WIC also provides clients with information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care providers that can help clients address health-related concerns due to diet, such as type II diabetes. It also…