eWIC will improve user experience and strengthen program’s integrity  

Media Contact: Lisa Cox Chief, Office of Public Information Missouri Dept of Health and Senior Services Lisa.Cox@health.mo.gov

JEFFERSON CITY, MO -- The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is offering families a new way to shop for WIC-approved food using an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card, eWIC.

Families participating in WIC in Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Howard, Miller, Moniteau and Osage counties will be the first to use the new eWIC card beginning on October 2, 2019. Statewide rollout of eWIC will be completed in April 2020. Currently, participants of Missouri WIC, a program administered by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, use paper vouchers to buy nutritious WIC-approved food. The new eWIC card will decrease time at the checkout, provide flexibility to purchase WIC-approved food as needed and provide all household benefits on one card.

WIC provides services at 117 local agencies throughout Missouri and serves 108,000 financially-eligible women, infants and children under age five each month. These families shop at more than 630 authorized WIC retailers throughout Missouri. Missouri WIC has been offering participant-centered nutrition education, supplemental food, breastfeeding support and referrals to health care for over 40 years. WIC is one of the most successful, cost-effective and important nutrition intervention programs in the country.

For more information about WIC, visit wic.mo.gov or call 1-800-TEL-LINK (1-800-835-5465).  

About the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services: The department seeks to be the leader in protecting health and keeping people safe. More information about DHSS can be found at http://health.mo.gov or find us on Facebook and Twitter @HealthyLivingMo.