AAFS makes sure our new mothers have the essentials they need through pregnancy, and the first years of their child’s lives by providing help through the Women, Infant, Children (WIC) program, run by the Illinois Department of Health and Human Services.
Staff at AAFS help pregnant women and new mothers apply for the WIC program, and liaisons with WIC offices, helping to provide better communication for the Arab and Muslim community. We educate women on how to use their WIC cards while shopping, and we provide two educational workshops per year. AAFS also has a party for pregnant women and newborn babies (like a baby shower.)
Women are educated on how to live healthfully and are given guidance on nutrition during their pregnancy and postpartum. Twice, healthcare professionals from Northwestern University have come to educate women on breast cancer checks and helped breastfeeding moms. AAFS provides new moms with baby items when clients need financial support. AAFS also helps individuals apply for childcare applications, which helps to pay for a babysitter or daycare.
Undocumented clients qualify for the WIC program, and AAFS is available to assist anyone in need of these services. 50% of funding for WIC programs comes from Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and the other half is through generous donors.
