OLYMPIA — WICShopper, the free smartphone application for families in the Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program, is now available in 22 languages for Washington state participants, according to an announcement from the Washington State Department of Health.  

This expansion provides a better shopping experience for non-English speaking families enrolled in the program by offering real-time translations of WIC benefits, along with other resources like recipes, lists of participating retailers and more, according to the announcement. It is estimated that 90% of WIC participants in Washington use the WICShopper app.   

Since its 2018 launch in Washington, the WICShopper app has been a valuable tool for WIC participants, the DOH wrote, offering a range of benefits including:  

• Shopping assistance: The app helps participants identify WIC-eligible foods and locate nearby stores, farmers markets and farm stores that accept WIC.  

• Convenient access to benefits: Participants can check their WIC benefits and balance at any time.  

• Educational resources: The app provides nutrition education and healthy recipes using WIC foods.  

The languages selected for the Washington WICShopper app expansion were based on the state’s population demographics, according to the announcement and include Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Chinese (traditional and Simplified), Dari, English, French, Haitian Creole, Kiswahili, Korean, Lingala, Nepalese, Oromo, Pashto, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tigrinya (an Eritrean dialect), Ukranian and Vietnamese.   

The WIC program works to improve the health and nutrition of pregnant people, new parents, infants and children under 5 by providing access to healthy foods like milk, fruits and vegetables, according to the announcement. WIC also offers health screenings, nutrition education, breast and chest feeding support and referrals to other health and social services. Today, there are more than 200 WIC clinics in Washington state serving approximately 200,000 people. This includes nearly half of all babies born, 33% of pregnant people and almost 25% of children under the age of 5 in the state.  

“Washington state’s WIC program serves a diverse population who speak a variety of languages,” Assistant Secretary for Prevention and Community Health DOH Michele Roberts wrote in the announcement. “Supporting WIC participants in their preferred language is a crucial way we can work towards eliminating accessibility barriers. Our hope is that this expansion makes it easier for participants to access vital nutrition benefits and support healthy choices for themselves and their families.”  

To apply for WIC, Washington families can contact their local WIC clinic, submit a WIC interest form and learn more about eligibility online.