S.C.’s transition to eWIC complete

On Tuesday, the South Carolina Department and Environmental Control (DHEC) celebrated the state's new electronic benefit card for families.

Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — On Tuesday, the South Carolina Department and Environmental Control (DHEC) celebrated the state’s new electronic benefit card for families. The card is now offered by the Woman, Infants and Children program, or WIC.

The new electronic WIC cards, or eWIC, is already being used by thousands of families across the state. It’s a convenient and paperless option that WIC families can use to get their monthly food benefits.

South Carolina successfully transitioned to eWIC in late 2019.

“We have a 2020 mandate to transition to eWIC from USDA, so all state agencies had to transition to eWIC by October 1, 2020,” said Berry Kelly, state WIC Director and Director of DHEC’s Bureau of Community Nutrition Services.

The new paperless system will help people in the program continue to eat healthy.

“We’re transitioning from a paper check to a, much similar to a debit card where all the participant’s benefits are electronically uploaded to the card,” said Kelly.

Participants in WIC are moms and babies who are at or below a certain poverty level, live in S.C., and they’re at risk nutritionally.

“They can go to the store and purchase all the nutritious foods that the WIC program has approved,” said Kelly.

The new system helps remove the stigma around being in the program.

“Oh, this is so huge. Our participants can go up to the point of sale, to the cashier, with their head held high,” said Kelly.

“Giving them a little extra security to move faster and not be embarrassed about having to use it. They’re always saying ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ so I think this is really going to help a lot of them get a little more self-confidence, and actually use the benefit that they’ve been offered,” said Michelle Ehret, Supervisor of Community Education with First Choice by Select Health.

Right now in the state, there are about 72,000 participants in the federally-funded WIC program, and 46,000 eWIC cards have been issued.