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Well Child Center

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We’re Hiring: Join the WCC Team!

Are you looking for a career that changes lives? Do you have a desire to make an impact on your community? Well Child Center is hiring a WIC Nutritionist!

This position is ideal for those who enjoy nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding promotion, and empowering families through community nutrition.

Previous WIC experience is a plus, but not required. This is a full-time position. A resume and brief cover note should be sent to mesquivel@wellchildcenter.org. Click here, to view the job description and to learn more about the position.

Well Child Center Announces New Executive Director

WELL CHILD CENTER OF ELGIN NAMES MICHELLE ESQUIVEL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND SAYS FAREWELL TO TRISHA ROTH AFTER 34 YEARS

ELGIN, IL (August 17, 2021) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Board of Directors for the Well Child Center of Elgin announced Michelle Zajac Esquivel has been named Executive Director for this nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of children and families through education, counseling, and services in the areas of childhood nutrition and pediatric dental health.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the Well Child Center. The Center is a critical resource for our community, and I look forward to building on that momentum and being a part of the effort to make a positive difference for families and children,” Esquivel stated.

The Board also announced the retirement of Trisha Roth, after providing 34 years of expert leadership for the Well Child Center. “Trish brought the organization through periods of rapid growth with an increasing need for services in the community. All of us at the Well Child Center are saying a fond farewell to Trish for her decades of service,” Mark Ainley, President, Well Child Center Board of Directors said.

Esquivel, a resident of Elgin, previously was Assistant Project Director for the Illinois Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood home visiting program in the Illinois Department of Human Services. She has also served as Executive Director for Educare-West DuPage, a state-of-the-art early childhood school serving under-resourced children and families. As part of her 35-year career, she served as Director of the Division of Children with Special Needs and Principal Investigator and Director of the National Center on Medical Home Implementation in the American Academy of Pediatrics. “We are excited about the energy and vision for Well Child Center that Michelle brings, as well as her support of our holistic approach to serving children and families. Her background in public health and nonprofit leadership will be incredibly valuable to the organization,” said Ainley.

Weaning from the Baby Bottle

When it comes time to offer the cup, what’s the best way to help your baby say good-bye to the bottle? The transition away from bottle can be emotional and slightly terrifying as a parent. Weaning can mark the end of babyhood in many ways. However, many more milestones are yet to come! Just remember that the weaning process is…a process. And starting when a child turns 1 year old will be easier than beginning when he or she is older. 

When should you wean baby off the bottle?  

Pediatricians and Pediatric Dentists say that babies should begin weaning at 12 months – and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends to complete weaning from the bottle by 15 months old. Babies rarely give up their bottles easily – which is why so many toddlers continue use it long past the recommended 12 months of age. 

Why should I wean baby off the bottle? 

There are plenty of good reasons to kick the habit by age 1. Toddlers who continue to drink from the bottle may be filling up on liquids and skipping solids – essentially hindering their appetite for foods and important nutrients. Also, bottles boost tooth decay. Milk contains lactose, a type of sugar, creating an environment for bacteria to grow. And if you’re giving your child juice in the bottle, that’s even worse. Furthermore, because the bottle significantly increases the risk of cavities, the likelihood that your child will have a dental issue also increases. 

How do I wean baby off the bottle? 

Introduce the cup at 6 months old. In the beginning, most of what you serve in a cup will end up on the floor or on your baby, ultimately creating a mess. But by 12 months old, most babies have the hand coordination needed to hold a cup and to drink from it properly. 

Quitting the bottle cold turkey may work for a few babies, but for most, a gradual transition is best. That means phasing out one feeding session at a time. Morning and midday bottles are easier to eliminate than the evening bottle (because most children are attached to the nighttime bottle as an evening ritual before bed). Therefore, as you encourage baby to drink from a sippy cup, begin to drop the morning or midday bottle first then wait a few days (or a week) before you replace the next bottle. Gradually offer more of a sippy cup and less of the bottle. For the nighttime bottle, many parents find it useful to switch up bedtime routines. Do something different, and stress that it is only for “big” boys and girls, while bottles are for babies.  

At age one, doctors also recommend switching from formula to cow’s milk. This can also serve as a natural transition to offer milk in a cup rather than a bottle. 

Most importantly, be patient! No baby will readily hand over the bottle, and weaning is usually the first time your actions as a parent will make your child unhappy. It is normal to struggle, but think of this as your first of many parenting challenges and try to be consistent. If your child continues to cry for the bottle after a few times of doing without and you give them a bottle once again; you have sent baby the message that crying gets them what they want. Weaning your child from the bottle will not happen overnight. Be persistent, working on weaning day to day. 

Fill Up on Extra Fruits and Veggies This Summer with WIC

The fruit and vegetable cash-value benefit (CVB) was first introduced to the WIC Program in 2007. It allows participants to purchase vegetables and fruit with their WIC food package as part of a healthful diet. Under normal circumstances, the monthly CVB is $9 per child and $11 for pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) allows WIC agencies to temporarily increase the fruit and vegetable CVB dollar amount to $35 for all women and child participants. The 4-month period will begin June 1, 2021 and expire on September 30, 2021. This change in benefits will be automatic for all WIC participants.

Well Child Center’s WIC Program is delighted to continue to help parents navigate the COVID-19 crisis by allowing participants to buy and consume even more healthy fruit and veggies! Increased access to vegetables and fruit is a critical step toward ensuring that children have access to vital nutrients and a genuine attempt to curb childhood obesity rates.

For Recipes Featuring Fruit and Vegetables:
WIC Health E Kitchen – wichealth.org
MyPlate – myplate.gov
Kids Eat Right – eatright.org
Illinois Nutrition Education Program – inep.extension.illinois.edu

To learn more about the WIC Program: signupwic.com

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 is the first edition to include recommendations for infant and toddlers! From birth to 2 years old is a critically important time for parents to feed their children properly to promote optimal growth and development. It is also an important time to establish healthy dietary patterns that can influence food preferences and eating behaviors later in life. The theme “Make Every Bite Count” is highlighted throughout this edition and is all the more fitting for children 2 years and younger, as they tend to consume small quantities of food frequently throughout the day.

Notable Guidelines for Children Birth to 2 Years Old:

· Recommendation to exclusively breastfeed up to 1 year of age, and longer if desired. Offer iron-fortified formula during the first year of life when human milk is not available.

· Provide infants with a vitamin D supplement beginning at birth.

· At about 6 months, introduce infant to nutrient-dense complementary foods.

· Introduce baby to potentially allergenic foods with other complementary foods, for example: peanuts, eggs, cow milk products, nuts, wheat, shellfish, fish, and soy. The guidelines state that there is no evidence that delaying potentially allergenic foods help to prevent food allergies. However, we encouraged all parents and caregivers to discuss this topic with their doctors before proceeding.

· Offer a variety of foods from all food groups beginning at 6 months and beyond, including protein, fruit and vegetables, dairy, and grains. At this time, taste preferences begin to develop therefore it is important to expose children to a variety of foods. It may take up to 8 to 10 times for a young child to be exposed to a new food to like it due to new textures and flavors. Repeated offerings increase the likelihood of an infant accepting new foods.

· Parents, caregivers and guardians play an important role in a young child’s nutrition because infants and toddlers are fully reliant on them for their every need. The edition also introduced the term, Responsive Feeding. Response Feeding emphasizes recognizing and the responding to hunger and fullness cues of your child. This will help allow the child to self-regulate their dietary intake.

· Avoid added sugars and foods higher in sodium. Taste preferences are formed at a young age and children may develop preferences for sweet and salty foods.

It’s safe to say that recommendations for baby and young children are always changing. However, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 can currently help parents navigate the eating behaviors of their young children. It’s never too early or too late to begin eating well!

Information regarding this blog and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 can be found at:

https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf

WIC Updates Program to EBT Card

New to WIC! Well Child Center and IL WIC has transitioned to the EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card. No more paper vouchers! WIC participants will now receive benefits on an eWIC card, which is similar to a debit card.  

After attending a WIC appointment or completing a WIC class, food benefits are added onto the eWIC card. The family’s WIC food benefits will last until the next WIC visit. To complete transactions, participants will need to enter the PIN that they have created. 

There are many ways to find your WIC Food Balance: 

  • Look at your store receipt from your last shopping trip.  
  • Ask a cashier or customer service person at the store to print your WIC Food Balance.  
  • Call the toll-free number on the back of your WIC card, 1-844-4MY-FAMILY or 1-844-469-3264. 

Well Child Center hopes that participants will find the new eWIC card easier to use at grocery stores. We ask that WIC clients please be patient during this transition!