Washington County Public Health reflects on WIC's accomplishments while celebrating the program's 50th anniversary

As Oregon Women, Infants and Children (WIC) celebrates turning 50 this year, Washington County Public Health (WCPH) WIC joins the occasion, shining a light on local efforts that bring healthy foods, nutrition education and health care referrals to lower income families across the region.

“In the past few years, we’ve seen an increase in demand for WIC services like breastfeeding support as more families participate in the program,” said WCPH WIC Program Supervisor Tara Olson, who works with her team in serving over 9,000 people a month on average. “It’s fulfilling to be a part of something that helps so many families and there’s still much more work to be done.”

Decades ago, Washington County was one of five pilot programs that started with Oregon WIC’s launch in April 1974. At the time, those programs supported 2,500 women, infants and children. By 2023, all of Oregon’s 36 counties served more than 114,000 participants combined.

For this past year alone, the WIC team in WCPH served over 13,500 individuals in English and 25 other languages. Most of the WCPH WIC team are bilingual in both Spanish and English and one member of the team also speaks Arabic.

Since WIC's launch, more and more local stores have started accepting WIC benefits through vouchers or electronic cards. To participate, stores must carry certain kinds of food for all their customers, including at least eight kinds of fruits and vegetables and whole grain products. Being able to bring in customers who are using WIC benefits has resulted in stores carrying a wide range of healthy foods, which is a benefit to everyone.

For WIC participant Monica Aguilar, a mother of four, accessing more fresh ingredients empowers her family to cook more nutritious meals on a regular basis. “Instead of doing a lot of eating out, we’re eating at home. There are just a lot of great recipes that we’ve learned,” she said.

As WIC at WCPH continues offering top-quality lactation-related care and nourishing foods, the program focuses on four key pillars for delivering their services:

• Nutrition education – WIC offers health and nutrition support through participant-centered counseling and group or online education. Participants learn what to eat during pregnancy and while breastfeeding; how to shop for healthy foods and cook meals; and how to get more whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lower-fat dairy into their diets.
• Lactation support – WIC offers resources and personal advice from professional and trained WIC staff who help thousands of Oregon families reach their infant feeding goals. In Washington County, WIC is expanding its breastfeeding peer counseling program through texting – giving participants more options for lactation education during pregnancy and support following childbirth.
• Nourishing food – WIC provides specific foods to ensure good health, growth and development. WIC food benefits can be used at grocery stores for fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and more. Locally, Washington County’s WIC program promotes access to fresh, locally grown fruit and vegetables through the Oregon Farm Direct Nutrition Program (FDNP) – issuing nearly 5,000 voucher booklets to eligible participants.
• Health care and other referrals – WIC helps families access the services needed to stay healthy. Referrals help improve health outcomes, ensure infants’ and children’s normal growth, reduce anemia levels, increase access to regular health care, keep children up to date on vaccinations, and ensure prenatal care for pregnant individuals. To that end, Washington County WIC fosters partnerships with local community resources and organizations while providing in-person services post-pandemic.

These WIC services improve healthy behaviors in families, helping them develop positive lifestyle habits and improved health outcomes. Studies show those on WIC have fewer premature births, have fewer low birth-weight babies, seek prenatal care earlier, and eat healthier. Children participating in WIC are also more likely to arrive at school ready to learn because WIC provides key nutrients throughout critical growth periods.

“Giving growing children the nutrition they need provides stable energy throughout the day, allowing them to be more alert and think more clearly in class,” said Olson. “We’re passionate about ensuring access to healthy foods for kids and their families as it creates a solid foundation for pursuing educational opportunities. It’s just one example of how we strive to remove barriers through our services, giving all kinds of families a fair and just chance to be as healthy as possible while advancing health equity in the process.”

In addition to infants and children served in Washington County’s three WIC clinics, the program supports fathers, grandparents, foster parents or legal guardians who have kids younger than five.

Washington County WIC will roll out updated WIC food packages in the summer of 2025. This change includes:

• Annual increases in the benefit for fruit and vegetables.
• More flexibility to accommodate dietary, personal and cultural food practices.
• More food choices and variety while maintaining high quality nutrition for growing families.

Families with questions can reach out to Washington County WIC at either [email protected] or by phone at 503-846-3555. Find WIC online at www.washingtoncountyor.gov/WIC.