Project Overview

The Connecticut 2014 US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Special Project Grant, WIC and Head Start Better Together Collaboration Project, established a formal partnership between Connecticut’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Head Start Program to increase participation and retention in both programs for the overall health and welfare
of families.

Both the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Head Start programs serve low- income women, children up to age five, and families. Even though all families who qualify for Head Start are also eligible for WIC, only half of these families are co-enrolled in both programs both nationally and in Connecticut.

With sustained collaboration between WIC and Head Start, the families who participate in both of the programs could potentially see improved health outcomes from an increase in services.