The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children - better known as the WIC Program - serves to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, & children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care. The WIC Program is offered in all 50 states of America. In California alone, 82 WIC agencies provide services locally to over 1.4 million women, infants and children each month at over 600 sites throughout the State. (http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/wicworks/Pages/default.aspx)

WIC saves lives and improves the health of nutritionally at-risk women, infants and children. The results of studies conducted by FNS and other non-government entities prove that WIC is one of the nation’s most successful and cost-effective nutrition intervention programs. Since its beginning in 1974, the WIC Program has earned the reputation of being one of the most successful Federally-funded nutrition programs in the United States. Collective findings of studies, reviews and reports demonstrate that the WIC Program is cost effective in protecting or improving the health/nutritional status of low-income women, infants and children (http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/aboutwic/howwichelps.htm).

As of 2009 there are approximately 9,121,779 participants throughout the United States in the WIC program (http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/26wifypart.htm).

One of the important services offered by the WIC program is food vouchers that help families purchase foods that would otherwise have been difficult to access. After 30 plus years with the standard food vouchers options, on October 2009 in California, the WIC program updated its food package. This opened more variety of foods which included healthy fresh foods like fruits and vegetables along with whole grains, which were not offered before. A part of the new option was the Tofu & Soymilk food package which made it possible for vegetarians to access vegetarian foods. It included Canned Mature Beans, Dry Beans, Peas, or Lentils, Fruits and Vegetables, juice, whole grains, soy milk, and tofu. However, in addition to these vegan options were cheese, eggs, and canned fish which are all animal products. This leaves the vegan mother and child with no option but to lose out on nutrition that could have been there if there were an alternative to the cheese, eggs, and fish. They deserve to eat alternatives that are healthy and animal-free.

Whereas it is understandable that the USDA would offer the cheese, eggs, and fish in all food packages for concern that enough protein is being consumed by the mother and child, a healthy vegan diet ensures adequate amounts of protein and other important nutrients without the added cholesterol and high animal fat found in animal products. Research shows that the vegan diet benefits are definitely plenty. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a non-profit that funds research on plant-based diets, ensure that among one of the benefits of a vegan diet, "Vegetarian women have a lower incidence of pre-eclampsia in pregnancy and significantly more pure breast milk. Analyses of vegetarians’ breast milk show that the levels of environmental contaminants in their milk are much lower than in non-vegetarians.37 Studies have also shown that in families with a history of food allergies, when women abstain from allergenic foods, including milk, meat, and fish, during pregnancy, they are less likely to pass allergies onto the infant.38 Mothers who drink milk pass cow antibodies along to their nursing infants through their breast milk. These antibodies can cause colic." (http://pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vegetarian_foods.html) A vegan diet, overall healthier for mother and child.

Vegetarian children also have high nutritional needs, but these are met within a vegetarian diet. A vegetarian menu is life extending. As young children, vegetarians may grow more gradually, reach puberty somewhat later, and live substantially longer than do meat-eaters. For more information on these topics, visit www.pcrm.org/health.

So rather than omitting the animal products completely and missing out on the food, it is best to replace them with vegan-friendly fare. This petition is calling to ask WIC to substitute the meats and cheese for vegan meats and vegan cheese. Or simply replace with tofu with has plenty of protein and calcium. Same suggestion for the infant food; including the completely vegan options for infant foods (instead of canned infant meat, rather more infant produce or other non-animal options). Vegan is more than just an alternative, it is a dietary need.

With the ever-growing numbers of people choosing vegetarian and vegan dietary options, the benefits to such animal-free diets are becoming further known and widespread. The participants of WIC are able to make more choices for their families to assist feeding them wholesome, healthy foods. And for those who choose to abstain from meat especially for health reasons, to help children grow healthier and make it more accessible for their families to purchase vegan foods. This is one step in helping ensure a healthier community overall.

Please help encourage the USDA to create vegan options and make it possible to the communities in choosing healthier diets for themselves and of course, the youth. Thank you!

To learn more about the WIC program, feel free to check out http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/WIC-Fact-Sheet.pdf