(Olympia, WA) The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is pleased to announce that WICShopper, the free smartphone application for families in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, is now available in 22 language options for Washington state participants. This expansion provides a better shopping experience for non-English speaking families enrolled in the program by offering real-time translations of WIC benefits, along with other resources like recipes, lists of participating retailers, and more. It is estimated that 90% of WIC participants in Washington use the WICShopper app.
“Washington state’s WIC program serves a diverse population who speak a variety of languages,” said Michele Roberts, Assistant Secretary for Prevention and Community Health, DOH. “Supporting WIC participants in their preferred language is a crucial way we can work towards eliminating accessibility barriers. Our hope is that this expansion makes it easier for participants to access vital nutrition benefits and support healthy choices for themselves and their families.”
Since its 2018 launch in Washington, the WICShopper app has been a valuable tool for WIC participants, offering a range of benefits including:
- Shopping Assistance: The app helps participants identify WIC-eligible foods and locate nearby stores, farmers markets, and farm stores that accept WIC.
- Convenient Access to Benefits: Participants can easily check their WIC benefits and balance at any time.
- Educational Resources: The app provides nutrition education and healthy recipes using WIC foods.
The languages selected for the Washington WICShopper app expansion were based on the state’s population demographics, and include Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Chinese (traditional), Chinese (Simplified), Dari, English, French, Haitian Creole, Kiswahili, Korean, Lingala, Nepalese, Oromo, Pashto, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tigrinya (Eritrean dialect), Ukranian, and Vietnamese.
The WIC program improves the health and nutrition of pregnant people, new parents, infants, and children under five by providing access to healthy foods like milk, fruits, and vegetables. WIC also offers health screenings, nutrition education, breast and chest feeding support, and referrals to other health and social services. Today, there are more than 200 WIC clinics in Washington state serving approximately 200,000 people. This includes nearly half of all babies born, 33% of pregnant people, and almost 25% of children under the age of 5 in the state.
To apply for WIC, Washington families can contact their local WIC clinic, submit a WIC interest form, and learn more about eligibility online.
