Saturday marks Louisiana WIC’s switch to a new online benefits platform and EBT cards, letting participants receive and manage food aid remotely instead of making frequent clinic visits.
The overhaul follows a state audit that found Louisiana had the nation’s lowest WIC participation rate, widespread outreach failures, and $111.6 million in unused federal benefits returned between 2021 and 2024.
State health officials say the new system should make the program easier to use, widen access, and help more eligible women, infants and children enroll and redeem benefits.
The reboot is aimed at reversing years of underuse in a federally funded nutrition program that Louisiana had struggled to deliver effectively.