The Montana Department of Health and Human Services is reminding residents that monthly benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, increased in October.
In an emailed statement, the department says low-income households will now receive $25 per month for children up to age 5, $44 for women who are currently pregnant, postpartum or partially breastfeeding and $49 for those fully breastfeeding.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which funds the program, increased the monthly rates to enable WIC recipients to buy more fruits and vegetables. The state health department says Montana families who are enrolled in WIC will see a 37% monthly increase in benefits, on average. The department also says the last increase of this size was in 2009.