Veggies and fruits increase provides more nutritional access to WIC families

Press release

March 12, the American Rescue Plan Act authorized State WIC Agencies to enhance the WIC benefit for a period of four months, expanding the vegetable and fruit voucher from $9/month for children and $11/month for women to $35/month per participant.

WIC’s vegetable and fruit voucher — known as the Cash Value Benefit, or CVB — was first introduced in 2007 as part of a decades-long effort by the National WIC Association to increase the nutritional quality of WIC-approved foods. The CVB is credited with improving the dietary quality of WIC participants and reducing.

Montana WIC will be implementing the CVB increase beginning the first of this month and running.

Montana residents can find out if they are eligible for WIC by going to http://signupwic.com .

“The increased dollars for fruits and vegetables will help our families most in need this summer,” Hill County WIC Coordinator Nicole Hungerford said. “Fruits and vegetables are crucial to a well-balanced diet. We are so excited to provide our WIC families with education and resources to make the most of these expanded benefits.”

“With far too many families struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic to afford the healthy foods that help grow healthy children, this temporary boost to the WIC benefit is an investment in our nation’s future,” said The Rev. Douglas Greenaway, president and CEO of the National WIC Association. “Increased access to vegetables and fruits is a critical step toward ensuring that children have access to vital nutrients, curbing childhood obesity rates while strengthening our local farm economies. In communities across the country, WIC is ready to help as parents continue to navigate the COVID-19 crisis.”

Appointments are available. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. For more information, call Nicole or Tami at 406-400-2421 or email [email protected].