Ver Ploeg, M. (2010). Do Benefits of U.S. Food Assistance Programs for Children Spillover to Older Children in the Same Household? Journal of Family and Economic Issues 30, 412-427.
Brief Description: This paper examines whether children age 5-17 who are age-ineligible for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, but live in WIC-participating families, have healthier diets than similar children in nonparticipating families. Results show children in WIC-participating families score higher on the Healthy Eating Index than children in non participating families. This association is stronger for children in families with two or more WIC participants compared with children living with only one or no WIC participants.
Implications: The benefits of the WIC program for children’s diets may be underestimated because the food benefits may be shared with nonparticipating children in the family or because family resources are freed up for other uses. This is encouraging news for the dietary health of children in low-income families, especially as the new WIC food packages, which include vouchers for fruits and vegetables and whole grain products, are implemented. However, as a cautionary note, it is also possible that the family member who is targeted for WIC intervention may receive less of the benefit than was intended by program designers.
