Release No. 0484.99

Jim Borland (202) 690-0469
jim.borland@usda.gov

Phil Shanholtzer (703) 305-2286
phil.shanholtzer@fns.usda.gov

WIC Customer Satisfaction Is Among Highest of Federal Programs

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 1999 Vice President Gore's National Partnership for Reinventing Government today announced that USDA's WIC program the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children scored second highest
among 30 high impact government programs in customer satisfaction. Only the Head Start program scored higher than WIC.

"We've known for years that WIC works, providing a healthy start for the more than 7 million women and children it serves every day," said Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman.  "Now we know that WIC works well, with customer satisfaction levels higher than all but the very best companies in the private sector."

WIC is a public health nutrition program that provides supplemental food and individualized nutrition education and counseling, as well as critical referrals to other health care and social service assistance programs, for at-risk, low-income pregnant women and new mothers, and for infants and children up to age 5.

In the first government-wide customer satisfaction survey, commissioned by the President's Management Council and released today, the WIC program received a customer satisfaction index rating of 83, which is 10 points higher than the national average. Participants rated the clarity of the WIC eligibility process at 87, the timeliness and adequacy of food benefits at 85, and the usefulness of information they receive at 83. Any score over 80 is considered high.

"These high customer satisfaction ratings are a testament to the close and productive partnership among USDA, the National Association of WIC Directors, and the staff at the state and local levels that work with WIC participants every day," said Under Secretary for Food Nutrition and Consumer Services Shirley Watkins. "And together we vow to continue to provide the best quality service to WIC participants to help ensure the future health of America's children."

The survey used the American Customer Satisfaction Index, developed by the University of Michigan Business School and used by more than 200 U.S. private companies to measure the quality of their goods and services.

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