Improvements made to the WIC food packages since 2009 have contributed to healthier food environments in low-income neighborhoods, enhancing access to fruits, vegetables, and whole grains for all consumers regardless of whether they participate in WIC.Children whose mothers participated in WIC while pregnant scored higher on assessments of mental development at age 2 than similar children whose mothers did not participate, and they later performed better on reading assessments while in school.Low-income children participating in WIC are just as likely to be immunized as more affluent children, and are more likely to receive preventive medical care than other low-income children.WIC participants buy and eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products, following the introduction of improved WIC food packages more closely aligned to current dietary guidance. WIC supports more nutritious diets and better infant feeding practices.Women who participate in WIC give birth to healthier babies who are more likely to survive infancy.Taken as a whole, the evidence demonstrates WIC’s effectiveness. This paper builds on those reviews, extending the evidence from earlier studies with more recent research. Two comprehensive reviews of the research literature catalogued the findings on WIC’s effectiveness through 2010. Over more than four decades, researchers have investigated WIC’s effects on key measures of child health such as birth weight, infant mortality, diet quality and nutrient intake, initiation and duration of breastfeeding, cognitive development and learning, immunization, use of health services, and childhood anemia. To simplify program administration, an applicant who already receives SNAP (formerly food stamps), Medicaid, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families cash assistance is automatically considered income-eligible. For a family to participate, it must have gross income of no more than 185 percent of the federal poverty level (now $40,182 for a family of three) and be at nutritional risk. Part of the nation’s nutrition safety net for over 45 years, WIC now serves over 6 million pregnant and post-partum women, infants, and children through their fifth birthday. WIC provides nutritious foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health care and social services for millions of low-income families, and it plays a crucial role in improving lifetime health for women, their infants, and young children. This effort is designed to inform discussions about new investments in anti-poverty programs as well as reforms of, and funding levels for, existing programs.

We synthesize and amplify the work of poverty researchers around the country on program effectiveness. As part of Policy Futures, we examine “what works” when it comes to federal and state policies and programs to reduce poverty and promote opportunity for low-income Americans.

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