More people in Cole County could be eligible for help from the federal Women, Infants and Children nutrition program.
That's according to Cole County Health Department Nutritionist and Registered Dietitian Jenna Laubert.
Laubert does nutrition assessments for pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum moms, as well as assessments for children from infants up to age 5.
"I think our guidelines may be surprising for some because a lot of single moms or single parents should qualify," she said.
The Eureka native, who has been with the department for two years, said anyone who is on Medicaid or who gets food stamps would qualify for the program.
"For a family of three, it's around $35,000-a-year income to qualify, so many would qualify and just don't realize it - so we're trying to get the message out," she said.
Laubert said those in the program receive a healthy pack of foods.
"There's been research done on what the community needs to make a healthy meal," she said. "The packages have foods rich in iron, calcium, fruits and vegetables. You can't just go to the store and get anything in this program. It has to be certain foods."
When she does assessments, Laubert said, she also looks at a child's growth rate.
"We check their hemoglobin because that's a good way to check for malnutrition and allows us to look at their diet to see if they are missing anything," she said.
Those looking for more information about WIC can call the Cole County Health Department at 573-636-2181.