Lock Haven WIC Office to Relocate for Greater Visibility

WILLIAMPSORT, Pa. – The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, is moving its Lock Haven office and expanding its partnership with STEP, Inc. and its Head Start Program.

WIC is a public health nutrition program that provides participant-centered education, healthy foods, breastfeeding support and healthcare referrals for income-eligible women who are pregnant or post-partum, infants and children up to the age of 5.

WIC has served Lycoming and Clinton counties for over 40 years and will be moving to STEP’s Clinton County Community Center on Walnut Street in Lock Haven. The new location is set to open in January and will offer advantages such as access to public transportation, free and handicapped-accessible parking. It will also be co-located with other self-sufficiency centered STEP programming as well as seven STEP Head Start classrooms.

Carolyn Hawk, STEP Head Start director states, “The expanded partnership and new location will give our students the opportunity to be healthy and ready to learn.” Statistics show that children enrolled in the WIC program are more likely to have a regular source of medical care and up-to-date immunizations, a goal of both programs. 

Nancy Bittner, director of the Bi-County WIC program, states, “Our current location serves over 700 clients monthly, and we are hopeful that this move will maximize our retention of 2 to 5-year-olds due to greater visibility to families.” 

The WIC program in Lycoming and Clinton counties is overseen by non-profit Hope Enterprises, Inc., which provides service for people with intellectual disabilities.

Pennsylvania WIC provides services at over 260 clinics throughout Pennsylvania and serves approximately 220,000 pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants and children under age 5. It is considered one of the most successful, cost-effective and important nutrition intervention programs.