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WIC raises amount of vouchers for dairy
AUSTIN (AP)--With the price of dairy products rising, the Texas Department of Health is trying to make sure that women enrolled in its WIC nutrition program can afford the higher costs.
The TDH announced May 12 increases from $4 to $4.50 for a gallon of milk or a pound of cheese. Officials cited recent jumps in retail and wholesale milk prices in their decision.
"We had a choice of cutting back on quantities of milk and cheese for the clients or increasing the amount we would pay for those products," said Mike Montgomery, chief of the department's nutrition services bureau. "For now, we're choosing to try to pay."
Montgomery said TDH is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture for extra funding to cover the estimated $12 million it will cost for the increase for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends in September.
The WIC nutrition program gives its clients vouchers to pay for milk, cheese, infant formula, cereal, juice, eggs, peanut butter, beans, tuna and carrots at participating stores. The stores bill the WIC program for the shelf price or amount of the voucher, whichever is cheaper.
Vouchers issued before Wednesday's change, however, will not be affected by the decision to increase the price, TDH officials said. Some grocers may waive the difference.
The Texas WIC program serves about 866,000 low-income pregnant women, new mothers and children a month.
Date: 5/20/04
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