Page 12 - Scene Magazine 45-03 March 2020
P. 12

  For Your Health
BY KRISTIN MCDERMOTT Health Educator
    human happy and healthy, and you are doing a great job. You know you don’t have to do it alone though, right?
my kids to eat more veggies?” (you’d be amazed what you can sneak spinach into). Specially trained staff assist mothers with breastfeeding. Also, par- ticipants get an electronic benefit trans- fer card (also known as an EBT card) to be used at participating grocery stores to buy healthy food for their families.
• If you are a foster parent of a child under five – CONGRATS! You’re automatically eligible. If the person receiving WIC benefits is also eligible for Medicaid, food or cash assistance – again, automatically eligible!
While your little one is napping or playing quietly (hopefully not that “quiet” where they’re actually flushing your car keys down the toilet), and you skim this edition of Scene, let me invite you to grow your circle of support through Calhoun County Public Health Department’s (CCPHD) Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.
• Women can enroll in WIC as soon as they know they’re pregnant. Studies have shown pregnant women in WIC have better prenatal care and fewer premature births. Your family can stay in WIC
until your child turns five! Kids who “Stick with WIC” not only tend to have healthier physical development, they score higher in vocabulary and number memory when they get to school.
• WIC is an equal opportunity provider. Your ethnicity, sexual orientation, coun- try of origin, religious beliefs – these make you and your experience unique, but they do not change the quality of service you receive here.
Nutrition is a big player in the healthy development of children. WIC is here
to help income-qualifying families have access to, and education about, the foods children need to grow up properly. Here’s what I want you to know about WIC:
• CCPHD WIC is constantly identifying ways to make appointments more con- venient. Of course, we’ll help you make sure your family gets traditional WIC benefits, but we can also test children’s lead levels, get everyone up-to-date
Maybe you’re
a mother. Or a father, a foster or adoptive parent,
a legal guardian. Whatever the case, you are responsible for keeping that tiny
• WIC is primarily about nutrition. WIC’s registered dietitians can answer any question you have from, “Should I take an iron supplement while I’m preg- nant?” (probably), to, “How do I get
amount for income guidelines changes based on how many people are in your family, so I encourage you to call and find out where the line is for you.
Hey Mama! You’re Doing Great.
• Qualifications are straightforward: you must live in Michigan, and you need to meet an income requirement. The specific
toothbrush.
• You will be met with a friendly smile
on vaccinations, and provide a fresh
when you come in for your appoint- ment. We want to know how you’re doing and what you need to be success- ful. We have connections in Calhoun County and are happy to refer you to dozens of other resources to assist with any number of issues.
 Maybe you’ve read this far and you don’t think WIC is for you, but you know someone that might benefit. Please take a minute and share our information. We’re here for the community of Calhoun, and CCPHD’s staff truly cares about the health and well-being of this county. You can find out more about the great work of the CCPHD WIC program by visiting us at the sites below, online at www. calhouncountymi.gov/publichealth, or by following CCPHD on Facebook at www. facebook.com/CCPublicHealthDepartment.
• Albion: (517) 629-9434
214 E. Michigan Ave.
Monday & Friday 8am-12:30pm & 1pm-4:30pm
• Battle Creek: (269) 969-6860 190 E. Michigan Ave. Monday-Friday 8am-12:30pm & 1pm-4:30pm
2nd and 4th Tuesdays each month
10am-2:30pm & 3pm-6:30pm • Marshall: (269) 781-0909
315 W. Green St., Suite 1-100 Wednesday only. 8am-12:30pm & 1pm-4:30pm
 12 SCENE 4503 I HEALTH ISSUE



































































   10   11   12   13   14