[skygazer1016]

Originally Posted by shycar

She said that meciaid paid for it and that as long as he was on medicaid he qualifies no matter how much money we make and no I would not be taking checks from someone who needs it more, becouse again medicaid is the one paying.

Medicaid doesn't cover it but if you qualify for Medicaid, then the income level is such that it qualifies for WIC. There are a few other requirements too. Here's the info for income requirements. I'm guessing the "state agency" info is what qualifies adoptive children for it. As far as foster children, since they aren't "ours" it goes off of their own income, and as a child under the age of five they don't have any, so they meet the income requirements.


Income Requirement

To be eligible for WIC, applicants must have income at or below an income level or standard set by the State agency or be determined automatically income-eligible based on participation in certain programs.

Income Standard The State agency's income standard must be between 100 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines (issued each year by the Department of Health and Human Services), but cannot be more than 185 percent of the Federal poverty income guidelines.

Automatic Income Eligibility Certain applicants can be determined income-eligible for WIC based on their participation in certain programs. These included individuals:-- eligible to receive Food Stamps, Medicaid, for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, formerly known as AFDC, Aid to Families with Dependent Children),-- in which certain family members are eligible to receive Medicaid or TANF, or-- at State agency option, individuals that are eligible to participate in certain other State-administered programs.

[rindava]

I did not and would not use it on as around here it come out to about $27 a month food per child over 12 months of age and just was not worth it...

I hear it covers all or most of infant formula though..

Here we were told to put foster children on it as it was counted as part of the support (reason wh 0-5 was lowest rate) and would help the child out if returned to parent....just like almost all the foster children go through the pre-school special ed assessment center to see if they have delays and need those services...

here kids 0-5 the board rate is something like $312 now... not much at all.....

all foster kids get WIC here....just like free lunch (I was "wrote" up for not putting some of my foster kids on free lunch because I knew it gets them on the "poor kids" lists at school (I always just packed lunch anyway)

[skygazer1016]

Originally Posted by rindava

all foster kids get WIC here....just like free lunch (I was "wrote" up for not putting some of my foster kids on free lunch because I knew it gets them on the "poor kids" lists at school (I always just packed lunch anyway)

I don't understand schools that differeniate the free lunch kids from the others. I grew up getting either free or reduced (my dad was a cop for the state, mom a nurses aid- they just had jobs they liked that paid bad!).

My kids now each go to schools where you can't tell. The parents have the option of prepaying the lunches which I do. In the elementary school the kids tell the worker their teachers name and then there is picture of each kid in the class that the worker selects to pick their account. In the middle school the kids have to show their ID badge to pay for their lunches. The kids don't know who gets lunch that is free, reduced or the parents prepaid.

[tvs4]

I used to work for WIC. I think it is a great program. I too have struggled with the quesiton of my foster child being on WIC and us not really "needing" the assistance (I mean we have the financial resouces to buy milk, etc) but here is my current thinking. I'd like to have my foster child on WIC so when he goes back to his bio mom - if she keeps him on it then it will be another set of eyes to keep track of his development and progress. WHen I worked for WIC the children had to be seen at the WIC clinic every 6 months for weight and height checks and to ensure they were not iron deficient. If it helps keep my foster son "in the system" a bit more then I'm all for getting him on WIC. It isn't that I don't trust his bio mom... it is just that I don't trust his bio mom... know what I mean? He came to us very small for his age and I think if he was on WIC they might have caught it sooner.

[tabby]

We have WIC and I am thankful because we have twin boys that are on a special formula that is very expensive. I also like the check-ups every 6 months.

[mckenna]

since i have been a foster mom i have needed formula for for about 30-32 month out of the last 60 months. fps that foster multiple infants at a time could use 60+ months of formula in 60 months which is not typical of parents and would justify the use of wic and it is much easier for bps if the child is already on wic when they are reunited.

[Cobb]

Our littlest is on WIC (our two year also qualifies and our WIC worker wanted to sign her up, but she doesn't eat anything other than cereal and we don't have the option of not recieving the other checks, so she's not recieving WIC at this time).

An interesting tidbit that we recently found out. If you're child requires specialized formula that Medicaid covers, they will not pay for it unless WIC doesn't cover it. We went from OTC Neosure ($200/mon - WIC), to Gentlease ($130/month - WIC), to Nutramigen (Medicaid does cover even though it's OTC, but so will WIC... $220/month - WIC), to perscription only Neocate ($450/month - Medicaid), to EleCare ($900/month - Medicaid). With each change we needed a perscription from our Doctor in order for WIC to make the change. While she still qualifies for cereal, she's not eating cereal yet, so we're not accepting the checks. We found out that WIC will keep her file open for a year, so when she works her way back down to Nutramigen or some other OTC formula, we'll be able to resume benefits.

I too initially had qualms about utilizing WIC, but considering the amount formula would cost us now, am soooo glad that we did! I agree that it is a benefit given to the child, not to us, and feel this is our responsibility to be good stewards of those funds, in the same way that we're responsible about how we utilize Medicaid funds (when Home Health sends us the wrong medical supplies, we mail them back with a request that the charges be removed, etc.)

My question for those that have dealt with formula changes... We have one unopened can of each of the formulas she's no longer on. With the exception of the Nutramigen which I expect she'll go back on at a later date, we're certain that we won't need them. What do you do with the extra cans? Obviously, I would perfer that someone be able to use them... Is it okay to pass them on to a family that we know uses that particular formula or give them to our Doctor to give to another family? Or should I give them to her CWer for another foster family's use (we also happened to have purchased atleast one can of each ourselves during transition times, so it seems reasonable to me that other families may have to do the same)? I know it's illegal for the checks to be used for anyone other than the attended child, but is it legal to pass on what we can't use rather than let it go to waste?