MetroHealth Receives $4.2 Million to Continue WIC Services in Cuyahoga County

Building on more than 50 years of supporting families across Cuyahoga County, The MetroHealth System has been awarded $4.2 million in federal funding to continue operating the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

The funding, administered through the Ohio Department of Health, will support MetroHealth's ongoing efforts to improve maternal and child health by providing nutritious foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support and healthcare referrals to low-income pregnant and postpartum individuals, as well as infants and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk.

"Receiving this funding allows us to continue a legacy of service that has strengthened families across our community for more than 50 years," said Barbara Riley, Director, Women, Infants and Children. "WIC connects families with the education, resources and support they need to build a healthy future."

MetroHealth has sponsored the Cuyahoga County WIC program since its inception in 1974 and now serves more than 15,600 participants each month at 14 locations. The newest WIC site is in MetroHealth's Outpatient Health Center, which opened this summer on the health system's Main Campus.

The grant also reinforces MetroHealth's longstanding commitment to improving infant and maternal health in Northeast Ohio. In addition to WIC, MetroHealth offers a range of programs designed to support healthy pregnancies and families, including the Nurse-Family Partnership, Childbirth Education and Centering Pregnancy.

Last year, MetroHealth also received the prestigious Baby-Friendly Hospital designation, an international recognition awarded to hospitals that meet rigorous standards for supporting breastfeeding and evidence-based maternity care practices.