Tennessee Counties Receive $6.5 Million in Federal WIC Funds
Funds to Be Used for Health Department Improvements
NASHVILLE – Tennessee health departments have been awarded a total of $6,519,124 in federal funding by the United States Department of Agriculture for the Women, Infants and Children Special Supplemental Nutrition Program. The funds will be used for renovations at 20 county health department clinics across Tennessee to improve services to WIC clients.
“WIC is an important resource that provides food security and nutrition education to thousands of Tennessee mothers and children,” said Health Commissioner Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN. “By committing these financial resources, the USDA has ensured these families will continue to have access to this crucial health service.”
WIC in Tennessee is administered by the Department of Health. Statewide, this program has served more than 326,000 women and children during the past year.
"USDA is pleased to be able to provide funds for projects that improve program access and the quality of WIC services," said Sandy Benton-Davis, regional director of the Supplemental Nutrition Programs for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service Southeast Regional Office.
The USDA WIC funding awards will be distributed as grants to 20 Tennessee counties. Grant amounts are based on the size of the WIC client population in each county. Funding will be used for additions and other renovations to health department clinics to facilitate delivery of WIC programs and improve access to other health department services by WIC clients. Grant recipients and amounts are as follows:
| County | WIC Funding Award |
|---|---|
| Bedford County | $25,000 |
| Bradley County | $57,000 |
| Campbell County | $300,000 |
| Carroll County | $399,690 |
| Claiborne County | $300,000 |
| Cocke County | $399,999 |
| DeKalb County | $65,000 |
| Gibson County | $499,860 |
| Hancock County | $18,000 |
| Hawkins County | $499,927 |
| Lawrence County | $45,000 |
| Marshall County | $56,000 |
| McMinn County | $300,000 |
| Montgomery County | $2,106,151 |
| Morgan County | $150,000 |
| Robertson County | $50,000 |
| Rutherford County | $699,937 |
| Sevier County | $399,690 |
| Van Buren County | $25,000 |
| White County | $122,870 |
The WIC Special Supplemental Nutrition Program is a federal program designed to provide supplemental food to low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants and children until the age of five. The program provides nutrition education, supplemental foods, breastfeeding promotion and support and referrals for health care. Learn more about the program online at http://health.state.tn.us/wic/index.htm.