A federal nutrition program for low-income women who've recently given birth will temporarily expand its vegetable and fruit cash benefits to $35 a month per participant. Previously, the benefit was capped at $11 a month per mother and $9 a month per child under age 4.
Dykibra Gaskin is the public health nutrition program director for Leon, Franklin, Wakulla, Madison, Jefferson, and Taylor counties. She says more than 4,000 families in the area will benefit from the change.
"This is something that is so important. Specifically, when you're thinking about food deserts, access to fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy foods has been a consistent problem. So, it's really good to see this expansion so people can get more fruits and vegetables," Gaskin says.
The program, known as WIC, is getting extra dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act. WIC allows families to buy other food groups, but the amount is capped. Whereas with fruits and veggies, the benefit is limited to a dollar amount. The WIC benefits expansion starts June 1 and will end September 30.
