I don’t know about the time thing…I work full-time, as does my husband. We are pretty busy.
It washes out the same, I think. I was on WIC when Ivylad was in the Navy and even though I was breastfeeding, I still got WIC for milk, cheese, eggs, cereal, peanut butter, that type of thing.
If I choose to blow my allotment all on peanut butter, then I had to pay for the eggs and milk out of my own pocket. Now, if you can make the argument that someone is spending all their WIC money on pre-made formula that doesn’t last them until the next month and the baby goes hungry, you may have a point for pushing the less expensive mix.
Unless they are more comfortable with having strangers handle the sort of formula you can’t screw up: if it’s them doing the feeding, they know they get it right, but maybe they worry that other people might mix it improperly?
And I don’t understand how you can know people well enough to be sure across the board who’s on WIC and who isn’t–I teach at a school that is very socioeconomically diverse, and I have been suprised many times to discover my assumptions about a person’s wealth were wrong–in both directions.
Oh, sure. That’s exactly what I said. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Oh, I didn’t mean to suggest you don’t work hard. Apologies.
I understand what you’re saying, but I disagree. If it wasn’t for WIC, many of these families would be feeding their babies cow’s milk. That’s how assistance works. They are always going to be getting something for free because they can’t afford not to. The cereal, the cheese, and whatever else is WIC approved is going to them for free or near free, and you’re paying for yours. If they can juggle their budgets to accommodate the better stuff, certainly a working family above the poverty line could do the same?
My argument is that if people who can’t qualify for WIC can’t afford to buy the convenience products, does it makes sense for those who do qualify for WIC CAN afford them?
I know because it’s a small daycare and I know the folks pretty well (meaning, I’m not basing this on guesses…I know who is on WIC directly from their own mouths).
Your point is well taken regarding the fact that they may skip formula altogether if it wasn’t for WIC, and that’s why we need such a program. I guess I’m wondering, though, if people are in that much of dire straits for cash, then couldn’t that hypothetical $2 they are spending for RTF formula go for something else that is needed, rather than purchasing convenience with it?
I understand what you are saying Sarafeena, and I agree.
People who meet Federal guidelines for WIC don’t typically have money for convenience ANYTHING. I wouldn’t begrudge this one thing to them – it may well be the ONLY thing they get that’s a bit “nice”. Being that poor is really f-ing depressing.
Then aren’t you really pitting people on WIC for poor financial decisions that make something that is designed to be an assistance into something that is being used as a luxury? I understand what you’re saying too.
I have similar feelings about a program we have in Florida called Amerigroup. Patients on the program are allowed $25 to go towards purchasing over the counter items such as band-aids, tylenol, diaper ointment, etc. It’s unfortunate that we had to start marking all the boxes because people were bringing them back for refunds and pocketing the money.
I’m a relatively poor college kid, like most, and people are handing me their 4 month old’s Amerigroup card and asking me if it will cover their facial cream. :rolleyes:
Because you don’t know what else they are cutting out to make up that extra $2. It may well be things you consider important enough to give up the RTF formula for–tat may well be their biggest single indulgence, and who knows their reasons? When it’s one of those things where they could be wasteful hussies sucking at the public teat when they really could make do, or they could be basically nice people who make serious sacrifices other places (like the adults eat rice and beans five nights a week or they don’t run the air conditioner or they don’t exchange Xmas presents or who knows what) to afford this, well, you can assume the worst and always be a little pissed off when you pick up your kid or you can give them the benefit of the doubt and be in a cheerful, relaxed mood. Either way you feel won’t really change their lives at all. I’d give them the benefit of the doubt.
This sounds like the people who get outraged when they see people buying steak with their food stamps.
I do think it’s a sign of very poor decision-making skills, but having worked in a county welfare office for the past three years, that’s hardly something that surprises me. On the other hand, I don’t see the outrage. They get only so much allotment for food (whether WIC or regular assistance) and if they blow that on something that doesn’t offer enough bang for the buck to let their allotment last the full time before the next payment date, then it’s on them.
Not that all of the recipients see it that way…
Well, it’s not like I go around being insanely outraged every day. These folks ARE nice people…we are very friendly at our daycare, and I like them. It’s just that it’s difficult to believe that everyone is so strapped for cash that they need WIC to afford to feed their kids when they can all seem to afford to give up that $2 (remember, this is a hypothetical number, totally made up by me & Kalhoun to use as an example) to pay for a little convenience, rather than use it for something else. That’s all. As I said, it’s not like the rest of us don’t have to make those choices as well.
Here’s a thought. Maybe the folks who made the rules thought they should allow for parents who can’t or don’t read labels and might not mix the stuff correctly.
Maybe it’s a stretch, but there might be parents using WIC who don’t have access to clean water, because they’re homeless, or their water’s been turned off for non-payment.
Making sure the infants have usable formula under any circumstances – sounds good to me.
Excellent points. Maybe I should not have directed my pitting at WIC. I just didn’t want to pit certain individuals who use it, although they may have been the more appropriate target.
Who funds the WIC program?
I believe it’s federally funded, although it may get state funds in some places, as well.
The Feds (the USDA, to be precise. The same folks who fund and administer the federal grants for food stamps.)