Forum Index
»
Off-Topic
WIC..pay for each item separately?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
This is awesome. This my fantasy of how people would treat each other IRL when they realize the other person's position. Le sigh. |
Anonymous
| I am a foster parent, and foster children qualify for WIC, so I have used the checks and gotten into my paid for car afterwards. And the requirements are very specific, so she may well have had to ring up items separately and use separate checks. I know when I was using them and doing my regular grocery shopping at the same time, I had to separate out items that would be paid for by WIC, and probably held up people who were behind me. You never know, so why judge? |
Anonymous
You don't know the circumstances. It may be borrowed, it may be from before something happened and she needed WIC. Don't be so quick to judge. |
Anonymous
|
Gee whiz, maybe she bought the Navigator used, since most people don't want a big old gas guzzler these days? D'ya think?
Nah, she's probably a millionaire. |
Anonymous
| PP here. Posted before I saw your response. Thanks. |
Anonymous
| You really have no idea what the situation is so just chill. Not worth getting worked up about it. As you stated, just be glad you're not on WIC. |
Anonymous
| I thought they had cards now that work/look like credit cards so it's not such an awful experience in the checkout line. Or maybe that's only MoCo? |
Anonymous
| PP, I think you're thinking of food stamps which is a different program than WIC. |
Anonymous
| After reading the two posts of former WIC participants, I think that they should make members of Congress buy their food with WIC checks for a week and then re-think the program. It's great that there's assistance for those who need it, but the whole process of getting and using the assistance seems so lacking in dignity. There must be a better way. |
Anonymous
Well, WIC differs from food stamps in that WIC is designed specifically to remedy nutritional deficits in pregnant moms, infants, and young children. This is why the certification and recertification process is somewhat cumbersome, because the health of the participants must be measured and participants must be at nutritional risk to participate (but almost everyone is who meets the income qualifications). This is also why the WIC checks are so specific and so cumbersome to shop with. They are designed not to supplement income, but to give participants access to specific types of nutrition. |
Anonymous
Some places have pilot programs to try to use cards for WIC, but it's in very few areas now. You are probably thinking of food stamps, which have been done electronically for several years now almost everywhere. |
Anonymous
I am one of the WIC posters (the one with the Milk Allergy). While the original point of WIC is to help supplement diets and is supposed to be for people with nutritional deficients that is not the case. You do not need to be at a nutritional risk to participate but if the WIC program runs out of money those at risk will not lose benefits. Each time you go in to get new checks you have to sit though a class on nutrition, every 3 months is a different "theme" and example would be breakfast. They ask you what you ate for breakfast and they give you examples of what would be considered a good breakfast. Most people only have to go every 3 months to get new checks but since I was on a special formula I had to sit though the same "class" 3 times. Then you get your checks with 4 gallons of milk 2 pounds of cheese 5 cans of frozen juice 3 cartons of eggs a few boxes of cereal Peanut Butter baby cereal and the formula They have no option for organic food, or really any substitutes. It seems silly that obesity is such a problem with low income families and all the government gives you is fatty foods. although recently they added Fruits and Vegetable to the list so it is a little better. Also, They don't start giving you baby cereal until 6 months but my Doctor had said it was ok at 3 months (to help with spitting up) but the time my DS was 6 months he was on fruits and veggie baby food ( which WIC does not recommend until 9 months) so every month they tell me don't give your baby solids yet or only give them this much and When I said that my pediatrician had given me the OK they were like "thats not good". Now that I no longer need the Formula I don't even bother with WIC its not worth the 30 or so dollars worth of cheese, to go though the 1-2 hours spent in the WIC office. |
Anonymous
|
I'm the first WIC poster. First I just want to say thanks to the ugh pp. It was nice, doubly so considered the atmosphere on this board sometimes.
I didn't stop going because of judgemental people, although I did go out of my way not to hassle people (I cashiered in HS and I never forgot what it felt like so I try to be a conscientious customer). I even went so far as to break my shopping down into Regular Day and WIC Day just so I didn't have to do too much separating and line-holding-up. What made me quit was the whole certification/recertification process. I think that if I'd had to go every month like the Milk Allergy pp, I'd not have just dropped out of the program, I'd have gone back and shot the place up. I don't know what center anyone else went to but mine was like going to The Shittiest Run Dr's Office EVAR. I'd arrive on time only to have to entertain to increasingly bored and agitated toddler with nothing but hand outs and a smile (the first time anyway, after seeing how there was no toys and the looooooooong wait I always came prepared) for up to 45 minutes after my appointment time was scheduled. Then we go to go in the back and basically have another Well Baby visit. DC's would get weighed, measured, and have a finger stick to determine iron levels iirc (I might be mistaken, like I said in my first post, I havent been back in months). Then the case worker would proceed to tell me things my ped had already gone over with me. The first few times I *lucked out* and got appointments scheduled for an hour before naptime. You can imagine how well behaved my kids were not, being that they were overtired and hungry. One case worker even called my son *bad boy* in spanish. It was a year ago but it still bothers me that I was too frazzled and busy handling a screaming infant to give her an appropriate comeback..... like maybe *It's not a secret language you know!* or *He wouldn't be messing with your stuff and bouncing off the walls if you had A) child proof locks considering this is Women Infants & Children and B) You all had seen us in a reasonable amount of time, meanwhile if I'm 15 minutes late I have to reschedule...........* Ok I'm not dwelling anymore. Anyway yeah. Even after I started scheduling it so that my mother could drive up from an hour away to come with me and I didn't have to go thru that hell myself, it really wasn't worth the money we saved. I'd honestly rather chew glass then have to go back to that place. |
Anonymous
| What you can purchase with WIC differs from state to state. When I was eligible for WIC my DH was active duty military and we were living overseas. I got milk, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, and vegetables. |
Anonymous
Yep. I got all of those, and when I was nursing I got tuna as well. |