WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors Formula Grant Award Summary

The Illinois Department of Human Services received a $2.28 million formula grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC, CFDA 10.557). The award, effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027, supports the delivery of breastfeeding peer counseling services to income-eligible pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five who meet nutritional risk criteria. This funding specifically advances the WIC program's nutrition education component with emphasis on breastfeeding promotion and support—a core program objective under the federal-state partnership model through which USDA awards formula grants to state agencies for subsequent distribution to local WIC agencies.

The breastfeeding peer counselor initiative leverages trained peer specialists to provide direct education, support, and guidance to WIC participants on breastfeeding practices and benefits. As a formula grant allocated through established federal funding mechanisms, this award supports the administrative infrastructure and staffing necessary to expand breastfeeding counseling services across Illinois's network of local WIC clinics and community-based service delivery sites, complementing the program's broader nutrition education and health referral functions.