MOUNT MORRIS, N.Y., Mar. 27, 2023 – The Livingston County Department of Health has been awarded a prestigious grant by the New York State Department of Health through its Special Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants and Children program.
The County will receive $771,900 annually for five years to assist with its award-winning WIC program while also providing financial support for its Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program.
The Women, Infants and Children program (WIC) is a federal supplemental nutrition program that provides nutrition education, monthly benefits for healthy foods, referrals and breastfeeding support. WIC provides these services to eligible infants, children up to age five, pregnant women, breastfeeding women and postpartum women.
“We are grateful to have been awarded funding to support these critical programs in our area,” said Jennifer Rodriguez, Livingston County Public Health Director. “This grant will allow us to continue to make a significant impact on the lives of mothers and their young children and ensure that their health-related needs are met.”
One of the premier programs of its kind, the Livingston-Wyoming WIC Program received the Gold Level Breastfeeding Award of Excellence from the United States Department of Agriculture for its breastfeeding promotion and support of the Women, Infants and Children program. The Breastfeeding Award of Excellence is part of the USDA’s effort to recognize local WIC agencies that have provided exemplary breastfeeding promotion and support in their communities. The award is intended to provide a model for and to motivate local agencies to strengthen their breastfeeding promotion and support activities, thus, increase breastfeeding and breastfeeding duration rates among WIC participants.
Learn more about these and other programs by visiting the Livingston County Department of Health’s website.
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About Livingston County:
Founded in 1821, Livingston County, N.Y., is comprised of more than 61,000 residents in 17 towns located across 631 square miles of the Finger Lakes region.