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(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department (SBCPHD) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program. WIC is a federally funded program that provides millions of families across the country with healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding and breastfeeding support, health screenings, and other important resources.
Since 1975, Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health Nutrition Services/WIC has been an essential service for families throughout the county. In addition to women, infants and children served at Santa Barbara County WIC clinics, the program supports parents, grandparents, foster parents or legal guardians who have children under 5 years of age. The program offers health and nutrition support through personal counseling and group education.
«WIC is the first program in the country that considers food as medicine. For 50 years, WIC has evolved to become a vital pillar of public health for mothers, babies and children at nutritional risk. In 2023, Santa Barbara County Public Health Department WIC served 24,620 unique individuals and in 2021, 5,489 births (47.9%) qualified for WIC from the time of birth. “I have witnessed our WIC program reliably support the health and nutrition of many families in Santa Barbara County and I am very honored to lead a large group of dedicated staff who positively change the lives of so many people in need,” said Nutrition Services Program Director Susan Liles.
The Santa Barbara County WIC program is known for its innovative and client-centered staff, many of whom are bilingual or trilingual (Mixtec, Spanish, and English). With the high number of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) and the innovative two-way texting system of Lactation Counselors, our Santa Barbara County WIC program has been recognized internationally with a IBCLC Care Award in 2024.
The IBCLC Care Award recognizes community centers that demonstrate their commitment to the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding and the lactation consultant profession.
WIC has been at the center of positive public health outcomes for 5 decades. The California WIC program serves approximately one million participants across the state each month. Approximately 60% of all births to California residents in a given year are eligible for the WIC Program. To be eligible, applicants’ annual household income must be at or below 185% of the US Poverty Income Guidelines (currently $55,500 annually for a family of four) and are considered at risk. nutritional.
The Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health’s WIC/Nutrition Services Program remains committed to its mission of improving the health and nutrition of women, infants and children. We look forward to continuing our legacy of support and innovation for many years to come.
Follow the Nutrition Services/WIC program on Instagram @sbcnutritionservices and Facebook – SBC Nutrition Services.
