Peoria City/County Health Department

08/24/2026

On behalf of WIC and our Blactavist Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Kesha, we'd like to celebrate Black breastfeeding moms the week of August 25-31. This year's Black Breastfeeding Week theme is "WE ALL WE GOT," focusing on honoring the movement, lifting up the legacy, and addressing racial disparities in breastfeeding and maternal health. Here at the Peoria WIC office, we support Black breastfeeding.

08/23/2026

Corn and whole-wheat tortillas are a nutrient-dense and versatile kitchen staple, and also this month’s WIC-approved food! 🌟

Corn and whole-wheat tortillas are great sources of protein and fiber and can be incorporated in your family’s meals in countless ways! Try out some of these recipe ideas:

🌯Burritos and breakfast wraps: You can add your favorite veggies for extra flavor.

🍲Tortilla soup or casserole.

🍕Custom tortilla pizza: Use your tortilla as the “dough” and add your favorite toppings.

Use your WIC benefits to make healthy and delicious meals for your family! Learn more at www.signupwic.com/about 💜

08/21/2026

Nominations are now open for the Tri-County Feeding Hope Award! 🏆

Do you know an individual, organization, program, or community partner whose work addressing the hunger of our neighbors deserves to be recognized? If you know someone who is making a difference in creating a community where everyone has access to food, nominate them for the Partnership for a Healthy Community Feeding Hope Award!
This award will celebrate a community organization, volunteers, nonprofit, educator, food pantry, program leader, or someone else who consistently goes above and beyond to help others. To submit a nomination, visit go.illinois.edu/feedinghopeaward Nominations due by Monday, September 7, 2026.

08/21/2026

The right recipe can make lactation easier for breastfeeding moms. In this video, Lisha and Emily show us how to bake up some yummy lactation oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!🍪

Looking for a sweet recipe to help boost milk supply for breastfeed...

08/19/2026

Put fresh fruits and veggies in the hands of moms and children five and under!

Connect with your local WIC agency to see if you are eligible for fresh fruits and vegetables from your local farmers’ market!

🍅🥬🥒🍓🫐🍑

08/19/2026

The Peoria City/County Health Department Breastfeeding Task Force would like to recognize our 2026 Lactation-Friendly Workplaces.

This year's winners include:

Caterpillar
CVS Health
FemmeCare Health & Wellness
Hy-Vee
Maui Jim
Pekin Insurance
The Shoppes at Grand Prairie
The Wonder Playschool

These businesses and organizations offer exceptional support for lactation in the workplace. Lactation is the best source of nutrition for most infants. The Centers for Disease Control recommends feeding infants only breast milk for their first six months, and continuing to feed with breast milk and complementary foods until a child is 12 months or older.

08/18/2026

The Peoria City/County Health Department has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for projects aimed at addressing food insecurity for working families in Peoria County. The Board of Health has allocated a total of $100,000 for projects in the $20,000-$50,000 range.

Looking at data from Feeding America, Peoria County’s overall food insecurity rate is 14.5%. Of those identified as being food insecure, 43% make too much money to qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

This notice of funding opportunity is for programs that will address this gap in food access for households with at least one individual who receives an income and have at least one child under the age of 18 living in the home.

The deadline to apply is September 9. Find full details at www.pcchd.org.

08/18/2026

Jump scares are for movies. Meningitis doesn’t need a cameo. Ask your healthcare provider about meningococcal vaccines, including MenACWY and MenB, and about the protection recommended by age or risk.

08/17/2026

The health benefits of breastfeeding are well-researched for baby and parent! 🤱

Data from the USDA show that breastfeeding support efforts helped increase the number of WIC families who chose to start breastfeeding to 70% in 2022. While there’s still work to do, let’s celebrate the wins and strive for even stronger breastfeeding support this and beyond! 💖

WIC is here to support your family from the moment you know you’re pregnant, up to your child’s fifth birthday! Read more: https://www.cbpp.org/blog/growing-share-of-infants-participating-in-wic-are-breastfed

08/12/2026

Breastfeeding can be overwhelming and physically demanding for a new mom, so it’s important to have her back! 💗Dads and partners play a huge role in breastfeeding success. And WIC is here to help you do so! Here are some tips to help support your breastfeeding partner:

🧹Lighten the chore load for your partner! Mom needs to focus on resting, healing, and nursing.

🥛Anticipate mom’s needs during feeding, like cleaning bottles and breast pumps and bringing her snacks and water!

👶Share baby duties! Make sure to handle non-feeding tasks like diapering and burping while mom rests.

Learn more about WIC’s breastfeeding support and education. 🤱 Our certified lactation consultants and peer counselors are here to help! Get started by visiting www.signupwic.com! 💖