The Knox County Health Department has designated all Thursdays as ‘walk-in’ days at the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Clinic at 140 Dameron Ave. No appointments are needed on Thursdays and women are encouraged to stop by WIC at a time that suits their schedule. The hours for walk-ins will be every Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WIC is a nutrition program that helps the whole family learn about eating well and staying healthy. WIC helps thousands of families in Knox County by serving pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants and children under the age of 5 who qualify.
WIC offers many benefits to families who qualify for service. Each participant receives specific food to help meet individual nutrition needs. These are issued as electronic benefits accessed with a TN WIC card. In addition, at least twice a year, participants get to talk one-on-one with a nutrition educator about the food they eat and how to incorporate healthy habits into their lifestyle.
Pregnant women are encouraged to enroll in WIC as soon as their pregnancy is confirmed. The earlier women are enrolled, the more likely the WIC program will have a positive impact on the outcome of their pregnancy. All pregnant women will learn about breastfeeding and the support services that WIC has in place to help new moms meet their individual breastfeeding goals.
While individuals must be present to enroll, it’s not always necessary to come back to the clinic for in-person visits. Many follow-up visits can be conducted online or by phone to best accommodate the needs of the participants.
Learn more about the WIC program and see if you qualify here.
Kelsey Leyrer is division director of communications for the Knox County Health Department.