The participation rate among eligible women and young children in 2013 - 60 percent - was 2 percentage points higher than in 2000. Slowly over many years, WIC has reached more eligible families, reflecting program simplifications and better customer service.But the economy has since improved, and participation has returned to its pre-recession level. Participation and spending grew during the recent recession, as WIC responded to increased poverty and food insecurity. WIC helps reduce economic hardships for women and young children who receive benefits when the economy falters and poverty and unemployment rise.WIC participation is consistent with broader economic and demographic trends. As the economy improved following the recession, the number has fallen for several years in a row. The number of WIC participants rose at an average annual rate of just 0.2 percent after full funding began (from 7.4 million low-income women, infants, and children in 1997 to 7.7 million in 2016).

WIC participation has grown very little since 1997.

Since its full funding began in 1997, WIC’s participation and costs have been remarkably stable. WIC now serves more than 7 million women, infants, and children each month. Second, starting in 1997, WIC has been “fully funded” - that is, it has received sufficient resources to serve all eligible individuals who apply and has no longer needed to turn away eligible applicants due to funding constraints.

Because WIC was so effective, however, Congress on a bipartisan basis increased funding over time to reach more eligible applicants. First, for more than 20 years, limited funding prevented some eligible women and young children from receiving WIC benefits. WIC participation improves low-income families’ nutrition and health at a critical stage of development.WIC has grown substantially from its modest beginning in 1974, when it served just 88,000 participants. In addition, our new analysis shows, per-participant costs and the number of WIC participants are remarkably stable (see Figure 1), and WIC spending as a share of the economy has fallen to its lowest level since before 1997. WIC is extremely effective, extensive research shows: WIC participation improves low-income families’ nutrition and health at a critical stage of development, leading to healthier babies, more nutritious diets, better health care for children, and higher academic achievement for students. WIC - the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children - provides nutritious foods, counseling on healthy eating, breastfeeding support, and health care referrals to millions of low-income women, infants, and children at nutritional risk.

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