The Tennessee Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program has transitioned to an electronic benefit transfer system from a paper-based method of issuing benefits. Tennessee families participating in WIC now use their TNWIC cards instead of paper vouchers to purchase WIC-approved foods. TNWIC is available in all 95 counties of Tennessee.

"We are so excited to offer TNWIC to Tennessee families and our participating retail stores," said TDH Deputy Commissioner for Population Health Morgan McDonald, MD, FACP, FAAP. "The new system makes transactions at cash registers more efficient for both shoppers and retailers and normalizes the shopping experience for our WIC participants who no longer have to redeem paper vouchers for their purchases."

With the new TNWIC system, benefits for WIC-approved foods are automatically entered into an account and accessed with a card similar to a debit card. This card replaces paper vouchers and can be used at any of the 790 WIC-authorized stores statewide. WIC is an important economic driver in Tennessee communities: In 2018, Tennessee WIC participants redeemed almost $87 million in program benefits at WIC-authorized stores across the state. Each month more than 125,000 Tennesseans at nutritional risk receive WIC benefits provided through the Tennessee Department of Health in 124 county health departments, stand-alone clinics and hospital sites throughout the state.