GRANT, Mich. — Michigan families receiving help through the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program will have less baby formula options to use their benefits starting March 1.
After contamination at Michigan-based Abbott Laboratories caused a shutdown of the company’s Sturgis facility and triggered a massive shortage of formula supplies, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services opened up options for WIC recipients to use their benefits on other brands of formulas.
Those expanded options were first offered in February of 2022 – the last extension was approved in October of 2022. But MDHHS announced on Wednesday that at the onset of March, WIC benefits will, once again, only be usable on Similac formula. The agency noted “Abbott’s recent production levels and its ability to supply sufficient stock of Similac product for the WIC market.”
But moms FOX17 spoke to are telling a different story.
“There still are shortages, even though they say that there’s going to be [Similac] on the shelves there honestly isn’t,” said new mom Cadence Chase of Grant. “I just went this past Sunday to get formula for my daughter and I only found three cans and I grabbed the last three.”
Chase’s daughter is only ten months old and has lived most of her life under the shadow of the formula shortage. Despite it being difficult to find, Chase kept her daughter on Similac throughout the shortage, having heard stories about the pitfalls of switching brands.
“I do not want to risk my daughter being sick or fussy or not taking the formula that we buy, because you can’t just return it,” she said. “You can’t just return it. Once you buy it, you’re out $45-$50 a can, even if it doesn’t work.”
Now, she’ll be fighting for Similac with those already buying it, on top of moms who were also using WIC to purchase other allowed brands.
“You shouldn’t have to be a mom, when your baby is only on it for a year, during that whole entire year struggling to get it,” said Chase.
When asked, MDHHS told FOX17 they were unaware of any impactful shortages in Similac supply, saying:
"At this time, the Michigan WIC program is not aware of any shortages of Similac formula. We will continue to monitor availability of infant formula, along with our federal partners, to ensure WIC participants have access to nutrition for their babies."
But moms like Cadence are still having a hard time finding what they need.
“I go to Wal-Mart, Meijer, every single week and I look at the formula and the shelves are still scarce. There’s still nothing on the shelves.”
Because WIC is a federal program, MDHHS says they are only allowed to contract one formula provider.
WIC recipients should start receiving notice from the agency this week regarding the change.
