ROCK ISLAND COUNTY, Ill. — Rock Island County's Women, Infant and Children's nutrition program clients must resume in-person clinic visits starting Monday, July 18. The visits, required by the federal WIC program every six months, were suspended back in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WIC, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides nutritional resources to pregnant women, new mothers, babies and kids up to age 5 whose household earns less than or equal to 185% of the poverty level.
"In many cases," Chief Operating Officer at the Rock Island County Health Department and Manager of the WIC program Janet Hill said, "WIC is the front door to helping lower- and moderate-income families access the services they need to succeed."
The Rock Island County WIC program provides nutritious foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support and referrals to health care and social services for income-eligible families.
To continue receiving benefits, WIC families are required to call the program every three months, and now recipients will have to return to one of the county's WIC clinics for regular six-month visits.
“In-office appointments normally take about an hour, but we need clients to know that the first in-person appointments in more than two years might take a little longer,” Hill said. “During the pandemic, many families have put off critical well-child health visits, so we want to make sure our children are growing, getting immunized against childhood diseases and are screened for low iron levels in their blood.”
The county's main WIC clinic is located at the Rock Island County Health Department, 2112 25th Avenue in Rock Island. Appointments are not required, but they can be made by calling 309-794-7070. Walk-in hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on weekdays.
The second clinic is located at Moline Community Health Care, 1106 4th Avenue. Appointments are encouraged and can be made by calling 563-327-2074. The clinic is open from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on weekdays.
Both clinics break for lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m.
Click/tap here to learn how you can apply for the WIC program.