Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Well Child Clinic and Maternal Health Clinic are three state programs offered to assist women and children in Iowa, and Iowa State students are encouraged to take advantage of the services.

“The programs offer support and education to those who need them and are a great way for people to get help and learn,” said Linda Miller, program coordinator for Story and Boone Counties.

WIC, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is a special supplemental nutrition program for women with children under age 5. Participants are required to be residents of Iowa, but not necessarily U.S. citizens, Miller said.

“We have international students that attend Iowa State University who use the program,” she said. “Even though they aren’t American citizens, they do live in Iowa and are eligible.”

Miller said about 1,900 people use the local WIC program, and about 1,200 are from Story County. Of those, 50-60 percent are students at ISU, she said.

“We provide nutrition education for women and their families and help them learn what infants and children should and shouldn’t eat,” Miller said.

The WIC staff, composed of registered nurses, licensed practitioner nurses, clerical workers and registered dietitians, performs a variety of services.

“They’ll do health screenings, check diet plans, give advice to keep the family healthy and issue vouchers,” said Rebecca Ziebell, licensed practical nurse on staff.

Part of the education involves teaching healthy eating during pregnancy, learning how to take care of babies and how to read food labels when shopping.

“WIC also encourages breast feeding, but we provide formulas for those who need them,” Ziebell said.

To help women buy the proper foods, she said vouchers are available for milk and cheese, fruit juice, eggs, peanut butter and dry beans, iron-fortified cereals, carrots and tuna for breast-feeding women, and iron-fortified formulas.

Miller said WIC clinics are offered each month. One day is spent in Nevada, Madrid and Story City, three days in Boone and nine days in Ames. She said a half day also is spent at ISU’s Student Health Center. She said the clinic in Ames is held at Bethesda Lutheran Church, 1517 Northwestern Ave.

Another program provided is the Well Child Clinic. This clinic, along with the Maternal Health Clinic, is provided by Social Security under Title V, Ziebell said.

The Well Child Clinic is open to Story County and Boone County residents also at Bethesda Lutheran Church in Ames.

“It is available for infants from their birth until they are 20 years old,” Ziebell said.

“We provide all immunizations, dental, hearing, vision, developmental nutrition and social screenings,” Miller said.

Also included in the Well Child program are complete physical exams, funds for dental exams, medical appointments and prescriptions. These services are at no cost to people who are income eligible, she said.

“We provide health coverage because international students who do not fall under Title 19 and have no health insurance have problems finding health coverage,” Miller said.

Among the staff at the Well Child Clinic are a pediatric nurse practitioner, licensed dietitian, RNs, LPNs, a registered dental hygienist and a medical social worker.

Maternal Health Clinic is available for Story County and Boone County pregnant women and is located at Bethesda Lutheran Church and the ISU Student Health Center.

Miller said Maternal Health educates women during their pregnancies on how to handle changes, joys, risks and discomforts. The clinic staffs nurses, registered dietitians, a dental hygienist and social workers to ensure good eating habits, good health and proper nutrition during pregnancy, she said.

She also said a dental hygienist is available to instruct mothers about oral hygiene. Social counselors also are available to help prepare mothers for their children. Once the new babies have arrived, the program provides at-home nurse visitations for new mothers during the first two weeks to help with any questions or problems.