Arapahoe County Public Health approved for WIC services

Arapahoe County Public Health will be authorized to provide the Colorado Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants & Children (WIC), beginning in Jan. 2023. This authorization ensures a seamless transition for mothers and children who will receive nutritional services through the single-county health department.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children is a public health nutrition program under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It provides nutrition education, nutritious foods, breastfeeding support, and health care referrals for income-eligible women who are pregnant or postpartum, infants, and children up to age 5. WIC is a short-term intervention program designed to influence lifetime nutrition and health behaviors in a targeted, high-risk population.

"WIC is proven to reduce fetal deaths and infant mortality and is essential to improving nutritional health for mothers and children," said Board of Health Chair Nancy Sharpe. "As we began to identify priorities, it became clear that Arapahoe County Public Health must align services for medically vulnerable populations. We are pleased to continue to provide WIC, without interruption, to more than 9,840 County residents."

Jill Bonczynski will oversee WIC for Arapahoe County Public Health as Director of Nutrition. She brings nearly 20 years of experience and currently serves in that same role at the Tri-County Health Department.