Oregon WIC Celebrates National Breastfeeding Month As More Than 97% Of Participants?initiate?breastfeeding - 08/25/26
August 25, 2026
Media contact: Erica Heartquist, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov
Oregon WIC celebrates National Breastfeeding Month as more than 97% of participants initiate breastfeeding
Program served more than 119,000 Oregonians in 2025 while expanding breastfeeding support and modernizing access to nutrition services
SALEM, Ore. - When Marion County mother Diane Smith became pregnant with her fourth child, she learned about a resource she wished she had known about sooner: Oregon’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program and its breastfeeding support.
Smith had struggled to breastfeed her first three children. But with help from WIC lactation coaches and nutrition staff, she successfully breastfed her two youngest children.
“I just didn’t have the knowledge of breastfeeding then,” Smith said. “But as soon as WIC staff found out I was pregnant and what my concerns were, they were like, ‘Oh, we have an amazing breastfeeding program!’ ”
During National Breastfeeding Month, Oregon Health Authority (OHA), is highlighting how WIC’s breastfeeding services and other programs helping families access nutrition support.
More than 97% of Oregon WIC participants choose to start breastfeeding. Internationally board-certified lactation consultants, designated breastfeeding experts and peer counselors support them.
“I wish more women had the information I had from the lactation coaches and from the nutrition information,” Smith said. “It made me have more confidence and not be afraid to even do it out in public. It was just a great support system.”
Oregon WIC served 119,464 women, infants and children in 2025, up from about 114,000 in 2024.
Making WIC easier to use
“WIC continues to modernize to make it easier for families to get the nutrition and breastfeeding support they need,” said Oregon WIC Director Tiare Sanna, M.S., RDN. “We’re listening to participants and finding new ways to make WIC more accessible, flexible and responsive to families’ lives.”
In recent years, Oregon WIC has expanded technology options that allow participants to:
- Attend appointments remotely.
- Communicate with WIC staff by text.
- Sign documents securely online.
- Complete flexible online nutrition education.
- Choose from a wider variety of healthy foods that reflect cultural preferences and dietary needs.
Smith, the Marion County mom, said virtual appointments have made a significant difference for her family.
Oregon WIC is a federally funded nutrition program administered by OHA. Families can learn more about eligibility and how to apply through the Oregon WIC Program.
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