North Central Health District

Georgia eWIC is coming to North Central Health District’s WIC program

Posted September 7, 2022 by Michael Hokanson

eWIC Program Begins September 12 with Kickoff at Baldwin County Health Department

On Sept. 12, North Central Health District’s (NCHD) Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program will implement the Georgia eWIC (electronic WIC) system for all WIC participants. eWIC is an electronic system for issuing WIC benefits which is loaded onto an eWIC card that will function like a debit card. Instead of WIC paper vouchers, participants will use eWIC cards to obtain WIC-approved foods from authorized eWIC retailers.

“We’re very excited to be able to make it easier for our WIC participants to use their benefits when shopping,” said Nancy Jeffery, MPH, RDN, LD, Nutrition Service Director for NCHD. “After seeing how successful eWIC has been in the area that served as a program pilot for Georgia, we’re ready to begin using this new and improved system.”

NCHD’s WIC program is part of Wave 2 of the statewide rollout of the Georgia eWIC program. With implementation on Sept. 12, the following counties in central Georgia will begin utilizing the new eWIC cards: Baldwin, Crawford, Hancock, Houston, Jasper, Jones, Macon-Bibb, Monroe, Peach, Putnam, Twiggs, Washington, & Wilkinson. Statewide adoption of the eWIC program is expected to be completed by the end of October. WIC participants in counties outside of NCHD are encouraged to contact their local WIC office to learn about eWIC in their area.

As part of the phased approach to the eWIC rollout, WIC participants should continue to use their paper vouchers until they receive their eWIC card. Once participants have the eWIC card, they will be able to use it to purchase WIC-approved foods.

“We’re looking forward to the point when all of our WIC participants have their eWIC cards in-hand and ready to use,” said Jeffery. “It will take some time to get the new eWIC cards to participants, and we appreciate their patience and understanding during this process. Our staff are working to ensure everything transitions with as few issues as possible.”

To celebrate the adoption on the eWIC program in NCHD counties, the WIC program will host a kickoff event on Monday, Sept. 12, 9 a.m., at the Baldwin County Health Department, 100 Ireland Drive, in Milledgeville. The first eWIC card will be presented to one of the WIC participants by retired Nutrition Service Director Jacquelynn Nelson, MSA RDN, LD.

Georgia WIC in a federally-funded special supplemental nutrition program that provides nutrition education, breastfeeding education and support, referrals and nutritional supplements to income-eligible families across Georgia. Income-eligible families include pregnant women, breastfeeding women, postpartum women, infants and children up to age five. Custodial/single fathers, legal guardians and foster parents of an infant or child can also receive WIC benefits for the eligible infant or child.

For more information about NCHD’s WIC program, including eligibility requirements, how to apply for WIC and WIC-approved products, visit NCHD52.org/WIC. To learn about the statewide WIC program, visit dph.georgia.gov/WIC.

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